For the Wild Child team, it was about honouring the memory of their 16-year-old friend, Jesse, and the other teams in the Central Otago Relay for Life all had a similar story to tell.
The relay, held at the Cromwell Racecourse over the weekend, was a mix of tears and laughter.
A party atmosphere prevailed for most of the event but there were also times of reflection.
More than 500 people from all over the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago region, divided into 34 teams, raised more than $60,000 for the Cancer Society.
Team members took turns to walk on the relay track for 20 hours and most adopted a theme, decorated their tent site and created costumes to match.
Relay committee member and Wild Child team member Tessa Drummond said the Cromwell-based team, made up mostly of teenagers, was taking part for their friend Jesse Cox, who died on January 29, aged 16.
Family and friends who were battling the disease or who had died from cancer were uppermost in the minds of all the people who entered the relay.
Chairman Craig Lunn said the weather had been "beautiful'' right up to the last hour of the event, when forecast rain arrived.
Team members used umbrellas and kept smiling, walking through the downpour.
Shortening the event, which ran from 3pm Saturday until 10am Sunday, instead of going for 24 hours, proved successful, he said.
"It seemed to work out well and people weren't as tired the next day. All the young people involved helped add energy, too. They were full of enthusiasm for all the activities on during the night hours and that kept the energy levels up. ''
He said it was important all the money raised would stay in the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts, and be used to fund the Cancer Society's activities in the area.
