The only rain early Friday night was a drizzle, but there was a flood of purple T-shirts worn by more than 100 cancer survivors as they rounded the track at Clanton City Park to kick off Relay for Life.

Local teams and individuals met and surpassed their $175,000 fundraising goal for the American Cancer Society. As of 7:30 Friday night, more than $182,000 had been collected.

Attendance was estimated at between 2,500 and 3,000 people. Also, there were 38 campsites set up around the perimeter of the track.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Ann Glasscock, Chilton County Relay for Life chairwoman. This year’s Relay event was her first as chairwoman.

“I just never dreamed there would be this many people here, especially with the threat of bad weather,” Glasscock continued. “It just goes to show you how dedicated this community is when it comes to fighting cancer.”