DAPHNE, Ala. — Many a sweet tooth were satisfied Wednesday during a bake sale in Centennial Park that raised over $600. Donations benefited The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. The annual, nationwide relay race that raises money for cancer research and promotes interpersonal encouragement for those touched by the disease.

The sale brought in funds for the city of Daphne’s Relay for Life team — a group city employees, cancer patients, their family members and co-workers. Children postponed their playing on slides, poles and jungle gyms in the park to select from the stock of cookies, cakes, brownies and candies.

Some parents and passersby couldn’t resist the array of goodies either. Items were not priced — any donation to Relay for Life was accepted, according to the team.

Mayor’s Assistant Jane Robbins — who’d helped with Relay for Life teams at several past jobs, she said — organized the team and the bake sale. She said Wednesday’s sale came together as a team effort. Robbins sent fliers to city employees asking them to bring baked goods for the event.

Robbins said she was especially moved to assemble a team for city of Daphne workers because two members of the staff are parents of cancer patients.

Site Containment Inspector Ashley Campbell’s 6-year-old daughter, Kayla, battled Ewings Saracoma — a type of bone cancer that, in a rare case, grew in the soft tissue under her arm, Campbell said.

Graham Cox, public service worker, dealt with the disease when his 2-year-old daughter, Erin, was diagnosed with Wilm’s disease last August. Wilms’ is a kidney cancer that affects children. A tumor had wrapped around one of her kidneys; the entire kidney was removed, Cox said.

Robbins said that supporting Campbell and Cox was a big motivation.

“Having Ashley and Graham here at the city — they’ve missed so few days of work — (I wanted to) do something back for them,” she said.

Cox said he wants to aid his daughter and other cancer patients by raising money to wipe out the disease.

“The proceeds go to Relay for Life to fund cancer research and just cancer funding,” he said.

“They even give to small charities that help people get rides to the hospital when they’re too sick. It trickles down to (all aspects).”

Cox said people should lean on each other for support.

“I never realized it, but everyone knows someone who’s had cancer.

“It almost cost me my two-year-old daughter’s life. If I can make ribbons, cookies, whatever … Erin and every other girl and boy (with cancer) deserves this — more than this. If everyone could just do a little bit, it would help.”

The Eastern Shore Relay for Life will be held May 2 at 5 p.m. at Daphne Middle School.

For information on events or to make a donation, contact Robbins at 621-9000.

The race gives hope to the patients who suffer physical and emotional torture, according to Cox.

“It’s about people coming out on May 2 and showing all the people with cancer they’re not alone,” he said. It is worth all the work, “if it just gives them that extra fire to get up and go get chemo(therapy) again.”