By Bruce Barton, staff writer, Los Altos Town Crier

The annual Los Altos Relay For Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society started with a bang in 2004, with hundreds participating and hundreds of thousands of dollars raised.

But the 24-hour event lost steam after a few years as participants and organizers grew weary of the massive effort and time commitment required. Organizers realized that major changes were needed to keep the event afloat.

Enter Relay 2.0, a revamped event scheduled June 12 at Hillview Park that completely changes the format while keeping the Relay’s overall purpose intact. Instead of a 24-hour marathon, this year’s affair runs 4-9 p.m. Instead of multiple laps, 2.0 will feature a single 2.5-mile lap along streets surrounding the park. Other new elements include a flamingo decoration contest, picnic site judging and a relay, with runners passing a torch. The luminaria – candle-filled bags with memorial messages lining the track – have been replaced by “messages of hope,” in which participants can attach artwork and notes to a decorated chain-link fence.