Staying up all night on the UA Mall doesn’t happen all the time, but tonight Relay for Life participants will do it for the second year in a row to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

With more than 60 teams participating and an expected attendance of more than 1,000 people, including cancer survivors, students and faculty, the goal of raising $100,000 might be quite possible.

Currently, through online fundraising, over $30,000 has been collected but committee members are hoping for a final push to raise at least more than last year’s total of $56,000.

Betty Glisky, a psychology professor, and her team “”Crazy for a Cure”” are the top fundraisers for the event online with over $4,000. Her team includes faculty from the psychology department and graduate students.

Glisky, whose husband died in Nov. 2003 from colon cancer, started participating when the first UA Relay event was held in the spring of 2004. Since then, she has participated every year and is the faculty representative of the committee this year.

“”It’s a huge thing in my life,”” Glisky said. “”It was something I didn’t want to see affect young people. We should be able to beat it with more research and support.””

Traditions are big at the event, both for teams and at the event itself.

One tradition Glisky’s team has is using the same banner from the first year she participated.

Another tradition for the event itself is the Miss Relay contest, where male participants dress in women’s clothes and compete for the title of Miss Relay, is popular at relay events all over the country. It is also called the Mr. Relay contest.

Last year, the contest was not held at UA because of sound restrictions, said Jason Saunders, co-chair of the committee.

It will be back in a modified form, where contestants can dress up in a crazy costume, not specifically in drag.

“”It’s just something funny and lighthearted everyone seems to enjoy,”” Saunders said.

In addition to the Miss Relay contest, a “”Relay Idol”” is also in the works to keep relay participants entertained along with movies, a DJ, carnival games and a performance by The Charles Darwin Experience, said Elyse Adams, an entertainment coordinator for the committee.

Haley Jane, Triple Double and Jetlag, three local bands, are also playing at the event.

Since camping is not allowed on university grounds, participants can erect canopies to sleep under.

Those who still want to get involved can register at the event, which starts at 5 p.m. tonight and will last until 8 a.m. tomorrow.