The 24-hour relay which started at noon on Saturday at Whitestone Contracting Centennial Park "exceeded expectations", Otago-Southland chief executive for the Cancer Society, Mike Kernaghan, told the 54 teams and their supporters at the closing ceremony at noon yesterday.
The back fields at the park became a tent and caravan city, many teams with staying through Saturday night.
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.
The club started cooking at 6am and by serving time at 7am about 150 had queued for a cooked breakfast of hash browns, bacon, sausages, baked beans and scrambled eggs or cereal, fruit and toast.
Some teams had all the comforts of home to see them through, with the North Otago Rugby Supporters' Club setting up its members' tent complete with satellite Sky Sport coverage to watch Super 15 matches.
Many of the teams had adopted themes, including a group of '60s Chicks attired in psychedelic mini skirts and another with flashing bunny ears, to keep track of where their members were.
The relay started with a lap of honour at noon on Saturday for families of cancer victims and supporters, and ended with all teams and supporters taking part in a final lap before the closing ceremony.
Mr Kernaghan said the response to the first Relay for Life held in North Otago had been "absolutely magnificent".
He read out the total raised to loud cheers.
However, that will increase with some teams still to bank their fundraising.
"I can genuinely say that [total] has exceeded our expectations."
All teams gathered at 9.15pm on Saturday for the moving candlelight service, led by Oamaru celebrant Jill McDonald.
"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," she said.
Five candles were lit during the ceremony, including one for earthquake victims in Christchurch and Japan.
