ARLINGTON — How does a Relay For Life that set records for the American Cancer Society in its debut manage to top itself in its second year?

The organizers of and participants in the second-annual Arlington Relay For Life did so by raising more than $290,000 through their two-day return to the Arlington High School track and field, beating the American Cancer Society’s goal of $250,000 for the event.

Arlington Relay for Life Event Chair Kerry Munnich explained that 155 teams and 1,849 individuals took part in the walk from June 4-5, and 302 participants signed up on site for the ACS Cancer Prevention Study-3.

“We had a goal to sign up 250 participants for CPS-3,” Munnich said. “It was all we had supplies for, so unfortunately, we had to turn people away.”

The Arlington Relay For Life 2011 Committee Team raised $11,485.15, making it the top fundraising team, while “Friends for a Cure” and the AOI Skeleton Crew came in second and third with $9,879.85 and $8,413, respectively. Judith Cartwright of the AOI Skeleton Crew raised $4,000 by herself, making her the top individual fundraiser.

“This year’s Relay was easier to plan, because we had the same committee in place, and we could improve upon the details that we had in place, as opposed to starting from the beginning like we did our first year,” Munnich said. “Everyone knew what to expect this year, whereas last year, a majority of the committee and Relay participants had never even been to a Relay, let alone participated in one.”

Munnich praised the Relay Committee for its passion and planning skills, but she credited the bulk of the event’s success to the Arlington community itself. To that end, she encouraged those interested in joining the Relay Committee to contact her by phone at 425-239-9615 or via email at kerrymunnich@gmail.com, especially since the Relay Committee is already brainstorming ideas for next year’s event, which is scheduled for June 2-3. To donate to the Arlington Relay For Life online, log onto www.relayforlife.org/arlingtonwa.