On Thursday, about 40 people started on the yellow brick road at the Troup County’s Relay for Life kickoff celebration at the Mike Daniel Recreation Center. This year’s theme is “There’s No Place Like Hope,” and the relay will be held on April 26 at Chris Joseph Track.

Co-chair Lynn Howard said Thursday’s event allowed team captains to meet one another and to come up with fundraising ideas. Teams went around the room and wrote fundraising suggestions for different categories such as schools and businesses.

“Tonight, we are letting the people here share their fundraising ideas so that new teams can learn and see how to raise money,” Howard said. “We are meeting each other for the first time with our new teams.”

Howard said this year’s fundraising goal is $100,000, and that they’ve already raised $12,500. She said their team goal is to get 45 groups, and they already have 22 registered.

“There are a lot of people out there who are affected by cancer that they know somebody and that they want to do this to help them because without the research that the American Cancer Society does, how are they going to cure cancer?” Howard said.

Howard said the theme reflects the American Cancer Society’s “hope to research and find the cure for cancer.”

Howard said Thursday’s crowd was the one of largest they’ve had for the kickoff.

“Tonight was a good kickoff,” Howard said. “It looks like we have about 40 people here maybe, and that’s the largest we’ve had in a long time. We’re hoping that we’re getting the word out through Facebook and social media on Relay (for Life).”

Anyone interested in joining can visit the local Relay for Life’s website at Relayforlife.org/troupga or visit Relay for Life of Troup County, GA’s Facebook page.