On the longest night of the year, under clear skies and a shining moon, dozens gathered at the Kenai Golf Course on Thursday to ski and snowshoe in support of cancer research.

It was the third annual StarLight StarBright, a winter solstice skiing fundraiser put on by the Relay for Life benefiting the American Cancer Society.

Organizer Johna Beech, a longtime American Cancer Society volunteer, said Thursday that she’s excited to see the event continuing to grow. Around 40 had preregistered, joined by even more who arrived and signed up that night.

The solstice event, she said, began in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, a reminder that “we still have a mission — funding a cure, funding programs and research.”

This year, the Kenai Peninsula Outdoors Club joined as a host, helping to facilitate preparations like marking the route with luminaria, which are described in a provided release as small lamps “honoring our cancer survivors and remembering those we’ve lost.” Each of the luminaria, which could be seen stretching out along the dark trails, had a symbol or a message, some had the name of the person they were dedicated to.

Over the course of roughly an hour, dozens completed the mile-long trail. Some completed it more than once. The skiers were adorned in headlamps, glow sticks and even Christmas lights as they ventured into the dark.

The trails at the Kenai Golf Course are maintained by the City of Kenai’s Department of Parks and Recreation, and Beech said that Starbucks and Safeway had respectively donated coffee and cookies for distribution at the end of the route.

“It always makes me happy when I see people that are willing to part with their hard-earned dollars and defend the mission,” Beech said. “To find something that this community loves to do and is willing to spend money towards the cancer society to do it — that makes me happy.”

For more information, find “Alaska — South Relay For Life, hosted by the Kenai Peninsula” on Facebook.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Skiers participate in the Third Annual StarLight StarBright winter solstice skiing fundraiser at the Kenai Golf Course in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Luminaria light the path of the Third Annual StarLight StarBright winter solstice skiing fundraiser at the Kenai Golf Course in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)