Relay for Life reveals 2017 theme

Relay for Life of Oktibbeha County has announced its 2017 theme and wants the community to know everyone can "be a hero" in the fight against cancer.

The Relay for Life leadership team announced the theme on Monday, which is "Heroes of Hope: Fighting for a World Without Cancer."

This year's event will be held on Friday, Aug. 11, in the main indoor area of the Mississippi Horse Park on Poorhouse Road.

“We are all heroes in the fight against cancer, whether you are a Relay donor, participant, a volunteer, sponsor or in some other role,” said Caleb Rich, event lead for the Relay Leadership Team.

The leadership team also created a super hero to symbolize the fight against cancer: Captain Hope.

The fundraising goal for the 2017 Relay is $100,000. The 2016 event generated more than $89,600.

"We had an incredible year last year. All of our teams put 110 percent into their fundraising, their enthusiasm, everything,” Rich said. “That effort by our teams was a huge factor in our success in 2016.”

The event is held over a period of several hours on a site centered around a track where each team tries to keep walkers on the track throughout the event. The Relay is not a foot race, but an effort to symbolize the battle faced by a cancer patient during treatment.

Kicking off the Relay will be laps by cancer survivors, their caregivers and the participating teams.

A special service will be held at 10:30 p.m. to light luminaries and Torches of Hope to honor cancer survivors and remember those who lost their battles with cancer.