A new lawn ornament is standing on one leg in some airport area yards, surprising homeowners.

It's not a gnome or a gazing ball, and it won't leave until someone supports a worthy cause, says Moon Area High School senior Maya Elious, a Relay For Life of Moon Area team captain.

"You see this nice neighborhood, and then you see a random purple flamingo and you are like, 'what is that?'"

Elious, 17, and her nine teammates hope that laughter and shock from their violet-hued birds breed dollars to help "The Moon Walkers" reach their $3,000 goal for the May 17 and 18 event at Robert Morris University's Island Sports Center on Neville Island.

Their fundraiser for the American Cancer Society event was hatched as Elious paged through a list of ideas provided to about 15 team captains at a monthly meeting.

"I thought it was really funny. I know a lot of people are really giving, so I thought it would be a great way to raise money," Elious says.

Friends and neighbors near her Fieldstone Drive home were the first to be invaded by the flock, painted in the event's signature color.

When puzzled neighbors saw the new wildlife variety, the mystery was explained in a letter attached to the flamingo, detailing the fundraiser and how they could help.

The reaction was overwhelmingly positive, says Elious.

"It went very well, and they laughed. They said I could keep it in their yard, so they could explain about Relay For Life," she says.

Now, she plans to release her flock of 10 birds on unsuspecting lawns with hope that like her, they'll be touched by the cause.

Elious is in her fourth year of volunteering for Relay for Life and leads her team of Moon students, who range in age from elementary school to college-ready.

"My friend's mom died from cancer, and that is the first year I got involved.

"So many people I've talked to have been touched by cancer, so I thought I would stay with it."

That mindset gets people interested and keeps them connected to the relay, which raises money for cancer research and treatment.

Moon's is one of 225 Relay For Life events across Pennsylvania, says Chelsea Ballint of the American Cancer Society.

"Everyone has been touched by cancer, and everyone has a story. Relay gives you something to give back and fight against this horrible disease. At the end of the day, you won't be able to say I or someone I love went through this for nothing."

Relay For Life of Moon Area has been spreading that message since its groundbreaking inception as the first Allegheny County event 15 years ago.

This year, more than 200 people will gather and walk the sports center's track, in shifts, for 24 hours to combat the disease that affected 1.5 million people nationwide in 2007.

In the airport area alone, 3,000 people will be diagnosed with one of more than 200 different types of cancer this year, according to American Cancer Society data.

Elious and friends' purple flamingoes could help lower that number for 2009, says Ballint.

"I have personally never heard anything like it. I think anything that's unique or stands out will get some attention."

For more information visit www.events.cancer.org or e-mail moonrelay@gmail.com.

To donate to Elious' team, contact her at 724-417-5776.