On Friday, January 22 at 6 p.m., the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Jefferson County will officially get underway as event volunteers and participants gather at the Galt House for a kickoff rally to launch their fundraising efforts for the year.

This year’s kickoff will mark the first annual Relay For Life of Jefferson County, an event uniting the Relay For Life events which have taken place in various communities across the city in years past.

At the kickoff, community members will have the opportunity to learn more about the American Cancer Society’s mission, the upcoming Relay For Life event and how to get involved. This also will be the first opportunity for individuals to register a team for the overnight event to be held May 21-22, 2010 from 6 p.m. – noon at the Prestonia Lot on Phillips Lane across from the Fairgrounds.

The world’s largest grassroots fundraising movement, Relay For Life mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and provide participants with an opportunity to fight back against the disease. Relay For Life brings together people from all walks of life who are all aimed at furthering the American Cancer Society’s vision of creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Relay For Life began in 1985 with one man who walked and ran around a track for 24 hours and raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year, Relay For Life will take place in nearly 5,100 communities in the United States and 20 other countries and will raise funds to support the American Cancer Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, by helping people get well, by finding cures and fighting back.

To learn more about the Relay For Life of Jefferson County, contact Erin Dunagan at 502-560-6024 or Erin.Dunagan@cancer.org. To sign up online, visit www.relayforlife.org/jeffersonky.