RACINE - With high energy and excitement, the pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students standing in an oval on the grassy field beat their hands against their thighs in lieu of a drumroll.

Their peers, five Dr. Jones Elementary School students, were about to race with the Milwaukee Brewers Racing Sausages.

The five Sausages were invited to the school, 3300 Chicory Road, Thursday afternoon for an hour as part of the school's second annual Relay for Life.

The chance to race the Sausages proved to be tempting for the students, who raised almost double the amount they raised last year for the relay, which is an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Some students held hands with the Sausages as they walked laps and others kept coming up for high-fives. Cheers and screams filled the air as the Sausages prepared for a mini relay with the five students who collected the most pledges.

Coming in second place in the relay was third-grader Venicia Palacios, who raised $281 and was paired to race with the Hot Dog. After the race, the nine-year-old said, "I gave him a hug."

This year the school raised almost $8,100 - almost double the $4,200 they raised last year. Proceeds will go to Relay for Life Team Victorious, participating in the relay at Case High School, 7345 Washington Ave., June 12 and 13. This year 500 students and 65 staff members as well as parents and family members participated in the relay, said Mary Koll, a Dr. Jones teacher who organized the relay both years.

First-grader Caleb Shumway was the youngest to race with a Sausage - he raised $310.

Caleb said he told his aunts and uncles over the phone, "'We're walking for cancer and trying to earn money for people who have cancer.' … They said, 'Okay.'"

Thanks to his aunts and uncles, the six-year-old raced with the Italian Sausage.

The PTA donated $250 - $50 per Sausage - to hire the Sausages for one hour.

"The Sausages were an added bonus for the kids to raise money and learn about cancer," said Sharon Steensen, the PTA president-elect for next year. "The kids will remember this always - they got to walk with the Sausages."

Throngs of students surrounded each Sausage Thursday afternoon, trying to get signatures of all five.

Venicia said she'll put her sheet of the five Sausages' signatures in her photo album.

"It was exciting to see her be passionate about something," said her mom, Katie Halvorsen of Racine. "Once she heard the five students get to take pictures with the Sausages, she tried to get more."