Relay for Life volunteers will hold an organizational meeting atnoon Wednesday at the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Government Complexto plan for the May 5 event.

Team leaders and prospective team leaders are encouraged toattend the meeting, said Terry Lynn Watkins, Relay For Lifechairperson.

“Hopefully, we’ll get some new teams involved this year,” shesaid. “When people get involved, they see that not only are theyhelping a good cause, it’s also good fun.”

The theme for this year’s event at Exchange Club Park is derivedfrom Dr. Seuss. “The Places We’ll Go and the People We’ll See”should encourage a lot of creativity among team members, Watkinssaid.

Geri Jinx said she is new to the committee and looks forward tohelping plan the American Cancer Society’s major annualfund-raiser.

“As a cancer survivor, I have a new appreciation of the RelayFor Life fund-raising efforts,” she said. “It’s a much greaterevent than I ever thought it would be.”

Jinx said she supported the Relay in the past, but neverattended it until after her battle with the life-threateningdisease.

“I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the volunteers,” she said.”It is a happy and fun event, but the object of raising money forcancer research is serious. I would encourage people to come out,if only for a few hours. We walk all night because cancer neversleeps.”

A fund-raising goal for this year’s Relay has not beenannounced, Watkins said. It may be announced at Wednesday’smeeting.

The chairperson said she is not sure how the charitable givingMississippians are famous for will be affected by the help that haspoured in for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“Hopefully, we will at least do what we did last year,” shesaid.

The American Cancer Society has also done all it could to helpthe victims on the coast, she said. The organization has helpedmany residents of the coast continue their cancer treatments.

“The American Cancer Society really stepped up and did theirpart during this natural disaster,” Watkins said.

Money donated during the Relay is used in the organization’sefforts to research a cure, educate the community about cancerprevention and early detection and lending support for peoplediagnosed with cancer.

For more information, call Watkins at (601) 835-3435 or AmyOwens at (601) 835-3720.