The Carmacks Wheelbarrel Association is set to hold their largest event to date Saturday with all of the proceeds being donated to support a great cause.

The association's first ever Annual Relay for Cancer will begin around 10 a.m. and the course will showcase the community as a whole by working in all of the streets in the village of Carmacks.

"Cancer has touched so many people in the Yukon," said John Laughlin, the president of the Carmacks Wheelbarrel Association.

"We just want to start something new and hopefully it gets big enough that people start coming back to Carmacks and seeing Carmacks for the fun it can be and not always the trouble that's being caused in it."

Most of the teams for the wheelbarrow relay will be made up of three individuals.

The participants pushing the wheelbarrow will be mostly adults, while people in the wheelbarrow must be between the ages of five-12 years old.

Shoes must be worn by all participants in the relay, while the youth in the wheelbarrow are required to wear a helmet.

The course is approximately 12-km and will feature 10 checkpoints. The pushers will switch off at each checkpoint with the other member on the team.

The relay will begin at the Carmacks' recreation centre and work its way to Mevtwo Park where there will be a mandatory 30 minute stop period.

After the mandatory stop at the park, participants will turn around and head back to the the recreation centre, which will conclude the relay.

The relay won't be timed and Laughlin said he doesn't want the event to turn into a race.

"We don't want it to become a race," he said. "We want basically to raise money. We are making it about the money and not a race."

There is no entry fee to participate in the event and all of the proceeds will be generated through pledges.

Currently there are 16 teams scheduled to participate in the event, who have raised around $2,000. The goal of the organizers heading into this event was to raise $1,000.

So far the teams that are registered to participate in the wheelbarrow relay are from Carmacks and Whitehorse, but individuals in Pelly Crossing have also expressed interest.

Every member who takes part in the event will be given a T-shirt and a button. A BBQ will also be held Saturday afternoon.

Individuals who would like to participate in the relay can register up until Saturday by 9:30 a.m. People can also register by calling Laughlin at (867) 863-6996 or by fax at 863-6999. Pledge forms can be obtained by calling Scott Kent at the Canadian Cancer Society at 668-6440.

Participants are also required to bring their own wheelbarrow for the event.

Some of the events' sponsors include Ford, Toyota, Valid, Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation and Coca-Cola, who have all donated T-shirts, prizes or supplies for the BBQ.

Laughlin said the amount of support for the relay has been very encouraging.

"The people of Carmacks should be proud," he said. "They just seem to always step up to the plate when it's some kind of a fundraiser. I am actually very proud to say I am a citizen of Carmacks when it comes to that."