Ball State University's Relay for Life committee will have its kickoff celebration at 7 p.m. on Dec. 4.
The celebration will take place at the Ball State Art Museum Ballroom and is open to any students interested in participating in the fifth-annual Relay for Life at Ball State, which will happen in April.
Food, music and information about Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society will be provided at the event.
Ball State Relay for Life Chairwoman Lyndsey Adams said students will also be able to sign up as teams and write cards for cancer survivors.
After the kickoff party, students will have until the day before the Relay for Life event on April 23 to sign up, but she would encourage them to sign up earlier to raise more money and help raise awareness. The money raised will go to the American Cancer Society.
"This is something people can relate with," Adams said. "Cancer is something that has affected all of us, if not directly, then maybe we know someone that has cancer or we will meet someone in the future."
Ball State Relay for Life Co-chairwoman Molly Beck said teams will be given a page online through which they can raise money. Teams can also find other creative ways to raise money and awareness, such as organizing activities on campus.
Beck said last year 51 teams participated in Ball State's Relay for Life and raised about $35,000. This year's goal is to raise $40,000 and have about 60 teams participating, she said.
At the April event, Adams said teams will camp out on LaFollette Field and take turns walking around the track. Teams will carry banners and write cards while bands play all night. The event is an opportunity to celebrate survivors, she said.
Raising awareness for the cause is also important, Adams said.
"We want people to know what Relay for Life is," she said, "We don't want the event to pass without people noticing."
Beck said that having more students aware of the cause can help them raise more money.
"Last year was our best at Ball State," she said. "We have doubled the help and we feel this year we can match and go beyond what we have raised in past years."
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