The season of purple has begun.

Relay For Life of Copiah-Lincoln will host a kick-off meeting Thursday at noon at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Brookhaven. Anyone who wants information about participating in the annual Relay For Life event should make plans to attend, said Cindy Ashmore, community development manager of the southern region of the American Cancer Society.

Pizza will be served at the lunch meeting.

Awards will be presented to the top fundraising teams for the 2017 Relay event and the new season’s details will be discussed.

The 2018 Relay for Life of Copiah-Lincoln is set for April 20 at Exchange Club Park.

A survivor meal will be served at 6 p.m. prior to the 7 p.m. Relay start. The event will be limited to just six hours, ending around midnight, Ashmore said.

Copiah County and Lincoln County merged their individual Relay events last year.

“Participation was good,” Ashmore said. “Copiah and Lincoln counties have always worked together well. Were hoping that we’ll have even more teams.”

The kickoff is held in October “to get everybody excited about the 2018 Relay and to encourage them to start fundraising,” she said.

Ashmore plans to hold the meeting Thursday, then communicate by email for November and December so team captains don’t have to meet again until January.

Teams are not tasked with raising a minimum amount for ACS. “They can raise $100, $1,000 or $10,000,” she said. “It can be a family. It can be a church, an organization or a school, family, friends or coworkers. They just need a team captain to register the team.”

For more information about the 2018 event season or to register online as a team, participant or survivor, visit www.relayforlife.org/copiahlincolnms.

For information about the meeting Thursday, call Ashmore at 601-384-6209.