Joyce Watson had a tough Christmas in 2003, when she learned her sister Cathy Thomas had been diagnosed with liver cancer.

"It was like somebody had just punched you in the stomach," Watson said. "In those last months where she was in such poor health, it was hard."

Harder yet was coping with the loss of Thomas just after Christmas in 2008.

Her family decided that if nothing else, they could honor Thomas's memory by forming a team for Relay for Life, to raise money for cancer research and treatment.

A tradition they will continue this year, Watson said.

"I think it brought our family much closer, just by doing this together," Watson said, remembering the success of their yard sale fundraiser last year. "We felt like we were contributing something so other families may not have to go through what we went through."

Remembrance and hope are common themes among those who cobble together fundraising teams for Relay for Life, the annual global event to support the fight against cancer.

Kootenai County residents are encouraged to form teams immediately, said event spokesperson Nicol Barnes, so they can squeeze in plenty of fundraising before the main event on May 21 at Greyhound Park in Post Falls.

"I think it's a chance for people - especially if they're directly affected by cancer - to feel they're doing something positive," Barnes said. "It's just a way to bring people together of all walks of life, to celebrate life and remember those we've lost. I just think for a lot of people it helps them heal, especially if they've lost a loved one."

More than 30 teams are already registered for the county's 18th Relay for Life, and members are expected to fundraise throughout the next several months.

Activities to net in donations will also occur at the May event, when teams will circle the track from evening through the following day.

All proceeds stay in the region, to support cancer research and treatment in Kootenai County.

"We try to have a guideline of $1,000 per team, but obviously a lot of teams raise a lot more than that and some a little less," Barnes said. "That's OK, because every penny counts."

The event coordinators would like to have at least 60 teams, she said. Anyone can form a team, whether with family, friends, church members or coworkers.

"Anyone can participate, regardless what your affiliation is," she said.

Folks can register their teams online at www.relayforlife.org, or call team development chair Lori Nelson at 620-0175.

Teams can be any size - though those with more than 20 are encouraged to split into two - and registration is $100.

Businesses can also sponsor the event by calling 659-6408.

Last year, the event raised $92,000, Barnes said.

Beyond the thrill of raising money, it's placating to be surrounded by people who know what facing cancer is like, Watson said.

Her team members had a moment of surprise at the end of last year's relay, she said, when they tallied their laps: 856, the same as her sister's birthday, August 1956.

"We felt her presence, I guess you could say," Watson said. "It wasn't a situation where everybody sat around and cried. We were just together. We had fun and knew why we were there."