About 45 teams have already raised about $66,000 in preparation for the Renton Relay for Life event May 21-22.

It’s not too late to join a team, and anyone can register at the gate for $10. About 615 people have already registered.

“What I like most about it, is that it (money raised) all stays here in our area in the Northwest,” said Lori Corbett, event tri-chair and cancer survivor.

For those not interested in spending the night at Renton Stadium, the event is free to the public.

In addition to music, several teams will have fundraisers going on at their tents.

“We do have a lot of raffle-type things,” Corbett said.

The event kicks off with a survivor’s lap at 6 p.m., which has special meaning for Corbett. “That (Relay for Life) was the first time I went out into public bald.”

The gates will close to unregistered visitors after the 10 p.m. luminaria, where those who died from cancer are remembered with candles that line the track.

Unregistered guests are invited to return the next morning and participate in a wake-up and work-out session and the closing ceremonies.

This year organizers hope to raise $115,000, and they’re well on their way, Corbett said. “This time last year we sucked.”

The fundraiser’s core is its teams, which raise money together.

“It’s the first time in the history of Renton that we’ve had a team-development committee,” she said.

Groups have done everything from garage sales and bunco to wine tastings and a golf tournament, she said.

The money goes to a variety of non-profits, including Look Good…Feel Better, Road to Recovery, Making Strides for Breast Cancer and researchers at the University of Washington.

“It’s important to keep focused on the fact that although great strides have been made, there is still a lot to be done, because we’re not done until it’s gone,” she said.