The 2011 Relay for Life campaign kicks off at noon Thursday at the Troy Parks and Recraeation Center and team captains and all others who would like to be a part of a Relay team are encouraged to attend.

Taylor Jinright, who co-chairs the 2011 campaign with Pam Nix, said the kickoff is for team captains but it is also for those who want to know more about Relay.

“This meeting is for those who would like to form a team or be a member of an existing team,” she said. “Anyone who wants to Relay is invited.”

The Relay for Life kickoff meeting will be in the boardroom and lunch will be served.

“To date, we have about 35 Relay teams and we welcome them back,” Jinright said.

“We also have six new teams and we are proud and excited to have them join us. We hope to have even more teams join us in the coming weeks.”

Jinright said there are no rules and regulations for Relay teams.

“Teams can have as many or as few members as they would like,” she said.

“Teams are not required to raise a certain amount of money. But each team member who raises $100 gets a free Relay for Life tee shirt. So, if a team has five members and raises $500, all team members will get a tee shirt.”

The theme for the 2011 Pike County Relay for Life campaign is “Relaywood” with the subline, “Lights, Camera, Take Action for a Cure.”

“This theme will add a lot of interest and fun to Relay,” Jinright said. “We’ll encourage our teams to theme their tents on Relay night, May 6 at the Sportsplex soccer fields. We’ll have an exciting banner contest. And, this year, we are doing something different at the awards ceremony. We’ll roll out the red carpet and award Oscars to the winners in the different categories. Relay night will be a lot of fun as we work together to find a cure for cancer.”