Oamaru's first Relay for Life has raised $75,342 for the Cancer Society and the total amount is going to be quite high as a lot is still to come.

The first Relay for Life started on Saturday at Whitestone Contracting Centennial Park and Otago-Southland Chief Executive for the Cancer Society, Mike Kernaghan stated that around 54 teams were closing the ceremony with all their supporters.

Most of the teams were staying in tents and caravans and the Lions Club of Oamaru cooked breakfast for the teams, 700 servings in all, using 58 dozen eggs, 25kg of bacon, 900 sausages and more than 1000 slices of toast.

They started cooking at six in the morning and within one hour, around 150 people were already standing in queues for the breakfast of hash browns, bacon, sausages, baked beans and scrambled eggs or cereal, fruit and toast.

The main event of relay started at noon and everyone ran for the families of cancer victims.

Jill McDonald, leader of candlelight service, said, "Each of us gathers here because we have been touched by cancer. Our gathering together for the candlelight service engages us all in something greater than ourselves".