A group of Canadian Cancer Society volunteers and Langley Township firefighters gathered Saturday morning, braving sleet, snow, and hail to draw more participants for the annual Relay for Life.

Firefighters flipped pancakes and fried sausages for shoppers stopping at the Save-On-Foods on 64th Avenue and 202nd Street in Willowbrook.

The firefighters do the same breakfast duty at the annual Relay. After participants have stayed up all night and taken turns walking for 12 hours in relay, they are treated to breakfast by an early-rising crew of volunteer chefs.

Captain Doug Simpson said they help out at Relay for the same reason they do their jobs - to help the community.

While sleet and hail hammered their tents, spirits were high Saturday morning.

There are already 43 teams signed up for the 2012 edition of the Relay for Life. The event, to be held on Friday, May 25, is a 12-hour non-competitive walking relay held at McLeod Athletic Park.

Teams sign up and raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Cash goes towards research into cancer treatments, as well as support for cancer patients and their families, and education programs to help stop preventable cancers.

Langley Township Mayor Jack Froese and Councillor Bev Dornan were both out to have a little breakfast and greet the volunteers.

Froese will be at the Relay for the first time, likely as part of the Township's team. Dornan is a returning veteran.

"We've been there since the beginning," she said. Langley Relay for Life is entering its eighth year.

Organizer Shannon Todd-Booth is excited about the high number of teams that have already signed up, but she was hoping the Saturday morning event would entice a few more people to learn about Relay, and join for the first time.

The Cancer Society staff and huge team of volunteers who put it together are always tweaking the event, which includes live music, games, and events to honour the memory of those who have died of cancer. The goal is to make the relay better every year.

Early bird registration finishes up today (Jan. 31), but prospective participants can continue to sign up a team, join an existing one, or learn more about Relay for Life at visit www.relaybc.ca/langley.

mclaxton@langleyadvance.com