The American Cancer Society is gearing up for another busy Relay for Life season, and volunteers will “Paint the Town Purple” in an effort to raise awareness.

Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30, will be “Paint the Town Purple Days,” as volunteers focus on additional awareness events in preparation for the May 6 Relay event. This year, the fundraising goal is $108,500 for Pike County and the theme is “Relaywood: Lights, Camera, Take Action for A Cure.” Team captains met for lunch on Thursday to discuss upcoming fund-raising efforts.

Tammy Calhoun, honorary chairman, shared her story with the captains. Calhoun has served the Pike County Schools as a speech pathologist for 20 years and is a cancer

“What it means to me is the opportunity to use my experience to give back to people,” Calhoun said. “God gave me this opportunity to me for a reason and I want to do the best I can do to give back to other people. People have said to me several times that I don’t look like the face of cancer, but what we need to realize is that you never know what form cancer is going to come in and there’s still work to be done and I want to be one of the people that gets out there and does what they can do for the people who are coming behind me.”

Calhoun encouraged people, through her inspirational story, never to hesitate to go to the doctor and get checked up.

Calhoun said she loves to take advantage of opportunities to share her story with others in hopes that her story will be uplifting and encouraging.

John Karbash, team captain for the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Brundidge, said he is more than happy to be captain of a team for the upcoming Relay event because of his experience with a family member being diagnosed with cancer.

“We touch so many different people,” Karbash said. “We have over 747 people that work just at the distribution center and if we can get them to come out and just walk, then Wal-Mart will donate $5,000 from the Wal-Mart Foundation Fund. That’s just one distribution center, we have over 100 of them. If every distribution did that, then that’s quite a bit of money that could be raised. I take pride in knowing that we can help so many different people with the great associates that we have working out at the distribution center.”

Various upcoming fundraisers include: Dairy Queen is donating a portion of their proceeds to benefit Relay For Life on March 15, 22 and 29 from 5 to 9 p.m.; on March 17, Troy University athletes will host “Trojans for a Cure,” where they will be waiting tables and taking up tips to benefit Relay For Life at Momma Goldberg’s from 5 – 9 p.m.; and April 8, there will be a Cocktails for a Cure benefiting Relay For Life where tickets will be sold at $50 each or $400 for a group of 10, including food, beverage and entertainment. The Cocktails for a Cure will be held at the Stadium Towers from 7 p.m., until. For more information regarding ticket purchasing for the Cocktails for a Cure fundraiser, please call (334) 566-2140.