This week, I decided I would visit Illiano’s and take part in a fundraiser for a good cause. A Relay for Life team was holding a fundraiser at the local eatery’s two locations, so Lauren and I made our way to the Washington Street Illiano's. Relay for Life is an annual event organized by the American Cancer Society. In cities across the nation, teams sign up to raise funds for cancer research. In an overnight event, team members walk around a designated route, usually an indoor track, through the entire event. In Middletown, the event will be held from June 12 to 13 at Woodrow Wilson Middle School.

We met with Connie Raymond, who is heading up Team Frani, named in honor of her sister, who died a year ago after a battle with lung cancer. Raymond also lost her mother, Pauline, and father, Dan, to the disease.

After reading about a Relay for Life meeting that was taking place locally in January, Raymond decided to get involved.

"I decided I wanted to do something so that other families didn't have to go through what ours

went through," she said.

Now Raymond is part of a large team of volunteers who are trying to raise money through Relay for Life to fight cancer. In fact, Team Frani grew so large -- to the maximum number of 15 people -- that a second team had to be formed, named Team Frani II. The second team now has 10 members.

The two teams set a combined goal of earning $3,000, which they had surpassed just before the Wednesday fundraising event. Of the 69 teams currently registered for the event, the first Team Frani is the third-highest in terms of amount raised, and of the 631 participants taking place in the event, Raymond's contributions put her in the top 15. All together, Middletown Relay for Life has earned $45,685.62 as of Wednesday.

"We've earned just over $3,000," Raymond said. "Not a lot over, just over."

"Everybody thought I was crazy for going with a goal so high, but I figured that if they tried so hard to beat it, I can try hard and maybe help the American Cancer Society find a cure," Raymond said. "Now I'm hoping to hit $5,000."

The group has been selling Relay for Life bracelets, cookies and candy to raise funds. They have also held car washes and bake sales, and have collection cans at South Side Market and The Wine Cellar. They will continue to fundraise at the Relay for Life event by having a raffle on a

"summer fun" basket. One nontraditional way they raised money was through Bunco.

I had never heard of Bunco, but Raymond explained that it was a dice game that her sister enjoyed playing. The eight-girl team her sister used to be a part of agreed to donate their winnings from the game for two months.

Because she knew that Illiano's did fundraising events in the community, she asked if they would be willing to support the cause and they agreed to donate part of their earnings for the day. Many members of Team Frani were planning on attending the fundraiser, and Raymond said that members of her sister's softball team would be stopping by after their game that evening.

Though the event is fast approaching, Raymond said that fundraising doesn't stop.

"It's 365 days a year that we fundraise," she said. After Aug. 1, we fundraise for next year."

Raymond's daughter, Raianne, also attended the fundraiser. The Middletown High School 2008 graduate said she participated in the event throughout high school in honor of her grandparents.

Members of Frani's family, including her husband and her three children, ranging in age from 14 to 20, are planning on walking through the overnight shift at the event.

Though this is her first year taking part in the event, Raymond said "This is something I'm going to try every year."

After the Raymond said their goodbyes, Lauren and I were able to try some of the Illiano's fare and do our part to give back. She had some cheese pizza slices and I had the broccoli bread, and we were both very happy with our selections. It was delicious, and she's the food blogger, so you know it's true.

We got the chance to speak to our waitress, Gemmina Magnano. She has been a waitress at Illiano's for the past six years, and said she has known the restaurant to frequently participate in fundraising events by making donations of gift cards and pizzas. She also said she was glad to be taking part in the Relay for Life

fundraising.

"It's really nice," she said. "My fiance's father passed away from cancer, and I'm all about helping out."

We also got to meet Magnano's coworkers, Ryan Lancia and Brittany Dorflinger, who let me snap some shots as they tossed dough to form a crust and served pizza, respectively.

I was quite glad to meet the Raymonds and learn more about Middletown's upcoming Relay for Life. After an afternoon spent at Illiano's, I'm glad to say I now have a new favorite pizza place and an uplifting story to tell.

To learn more about Team Frani, click here.