Although participants may not have quite reached the goal set, Pike County’s Relay for Life 2012 still managed to bring in big numbers.

The event, which had an initial fund-raising goal of $170,000, reached a total of $120,111 after the conclusion of the event on Friday.

SARHA Doctors brought in the most bucks with $20,064, followed by the FestiGals with $16,215 and KW Plastics with $10,517.

Although Relay is over, the 2012 fund-raising total is still expected to grow thanks to two City of Troy events that are ongoing.

A silent auction, which can be seen at Troy City Hall, will wrap up on May 11, and a raffle for a Giant Green Egg Grill will conclude later in June to coincide with Father’s Day.

The two events are expected to raise the relay total to about $140,000 according to Relay for Life Chairman Charla Davenport. All the money collected will be going to fund Relay’s cancer research and awareness programs.

As for the relay itself, participation and team fund-raising efforts were viewed as a success, with events such as Friday’s luminary lighting and survivor walk bringing members of the community together for a single cause.

“Everyone seemed to have a good time,” Davenport said. “We had a good turnout and good participation from the community. We’re always looking forward to the future and next year. We got a lot of positive feedback and will be looking for ways to make improvements.”

Davenport says that the Relay Committee will be meeting on the first Wednesday in June for a wrap-up meeting and they are already making plans for 2013

Changes include adding more events later in the night to give attendees reasons to stay later, moving the luminary walk to earlier in the evening and creating more events for younger participants.

Generally, Davenport said that the committee wants to look for ways to make Relay more fun and enjoyable for everyone who participates while still focusing on honoring those who have battled cancer.

“The reason we are there is the survivors, and honoring people we lost to cancer,” Davenport said. “Sometimes we can lose sight of that, but Relay night and the luminary walk is a good way to remind us of why we work so hard. We really appreciate the community for coming together. It’s always a great feeling to see what Pike County can accomplish. It’s very rewarding.”

The full list of award winners from Pike County’s Relay for Life 2012 can be found on The Messenger website at troymessenger.com.