They keep walking in the hope of a future free of cancer.

As a result, every step taken during the American Cancer Society's 13th annual Relay For Life of Lower Carbon County was with conviction.The 24-hour event to raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society was held over the weekend at Lehighton's Football Stadium.It's a disease Mary Ann Grant knows all too well.A cancer survivor, Grant, 42, of Red Hill, Montgomery County, felt a small lump in her breast in September 2011.With only health insurance for her three children, Grant said she put it out of her mind and hoped it would go away.However, it did not.As she watched television one evening, Grant saw a show about a famous person who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.At the end of that show, a blurb said help was available for women who couldn't afford mammograms."I consider finding the American Cancer Society website with links to free mammograms in my area the first and most vital step in my journey," Grant said.In January 2012, she met with the surgeon and was told she should have the lump removed because it was quite large, and at that point had started to "pulse" and cause some discomfort.Grant had her biopsy performed March 29 of that year. Unfortunately, in the course of three months, her original tumor had doubled in size, and an additional tumor had formed of almost equal size.After a pair of biopsies, Grant was told her biopsy showed she had breast cancer, and that the type she had was "extremely aggressive."Grant was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma, triple negative, and within a week had port placement surgery and began chemotherapy.Her oncologist told Grant and her husband she had a 30 percent chance of responding to treatment."It was a difficult road, and I questioned many times whether I would be in the 30 percent, but through it all, I would hear my mother tell people that I was always an overachiever, and that someone had to be in the 30 percent, and she knew it was going to be me," she said."Everyone needs a mom who believes in them even when they are ready to give up."On March 3, 2013, Grant celebrated being cancer free."I am blessed that I had the support of my family and friends, and that through my story, I have felt such an outpouring of love and friendship from my new relay friends," she said."I am extremely thankful that I was invited to the 2013 relay, and that the people that I have met through Relay have become people that inspire me and that I admire sincerely."This year's event featured 29 teams and 529 registered participants, according to Cheryl Haas, Relay For Life specialist, who added those numbers eclipsed the respective goals of 25 and 400.As of today, Haas said $90,400 has been raised, with funds able to be collected until Aug 31. That figure surpassed the $90,000 goal that had been set, she said."I think it's fantastic that the community came together for the cause, especially with the way the economy is," Haas said. "And that people are able to find it within their hearts to help."The top three fundraising teams, as well as the top individual fundraiser, have yet to be determined, Haas said.The event began Saturday with an opening ceremony, followed by a parade of teams, as well as the fight back ceremony.By early evening, it was all about the survivors reception, where Grant served as honorary survivor.More than $1 million has been raised since the event formed in Palmerton in 2002.