Monday night’s dinner at First Baptist Church of Dawsonville was a celebration of survivorship.

Relay for Life holds a survivor dinner each year to honor local men and women who continue to win battles with cancer.

Jay Walker, campaign chairman, said more than 130 survivors attended the event, which included several guest speakers who told their stories of survival.

Diagnosed in August, Glenda Brandt said the support she has received from the community has been a guide through the journey.

“I’ve drawn so much from God, my family, friends and co-workers, and that’s made it a lot easier to go through what I have gone through with their support,” she said.

Brandt said despite the troubles she has faced the last eight months, she knows she must maintain a positive attitude.

“Instead of putting all the energy into worrying, you put that energy into knowing you’re going to be OK and that everyone’s praying for you,” she said.

Dawson County Relay for Life, which raises money for cancer research, will be held the night of May 20 at Dawson County High School.

Dawson County raised more than $50,000 in 2010 for Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society’s key fundraiser. Organizers hope to exceed the amount this year.

“We’re already ahead on fundraising because of the number of teams we have this year,” Walker said. “Right now, we have 30 teams confirmed, almost twice as many as we had last year.”

American Cancer Society’s 2011 Relay for Life Dawson County is set for 7 p.m. May 20 at Dawson County High School.

For more information, call (770) 297-1176, e-mail suzanne.hendricks@cancer.org or visit www.dawsoncountyrelay.org.