Warren County’s 2010 Relay For Life, a major fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, will be Friday night at Warren Central High School’s stadium.

If you go

Warren County’s 2010 Relay For Life is set for Friday at Warren Central High School’s stadium. The event will be open to teams from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and open to the public from 7 p.m. to midnight. Admission is $2 per person or $10 for a family of five or more. To register to walk or to join a team, visit www.RelayForLife.org/warrenms. To purchase a luminaria for  $10, visit www.relayforlife.org/warrenms.

“This year’s theme is Birthday Party,” said Kristy Cole, chairman of the all-night event. “The American Cancer Society is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Every team will get to pick its type of birthday party. We’ll have luaus, cowboy parties, Mexican fiestas.”

The Relay will be open to teams from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and to the public from 7 to midnight. New this year will be live entertainment.

APO, a local variety band, will take the stage from 7:30 to 9, and Rewind, another local band, will play from 10:30 to midnight. Bowmar Baptist Church Praise Band will perform from 9 to 10, before a luminaria ceremony honoring those who have died of cancer. Luminaries will be sold for $10 each, and the bags can be decorated.

“We’ll have the praise band before the luminaries to uplift people,” Cole said. “We’re going to take time and remember those we lost to cancer.”

The 2010 Relay will also feature games, children’s activities and food. Fees will be from $1 to $5 per activity.

This year’s fundraising goal is $100,000.

“A lot of the money is used locally,” Cole said.

Making a return this year will be the Vicksburg Main Street Program’s Paint the Town Purple campaign.

“Downtown merchants will decorate their windows purple,” Main Street Executive Director Kim Hopkins said. “Purple represents Relay For Life, and it’s a way for merchants to show their support.”

Decorations will remain on display through the month.

Contact Manivanh Chanprasith at mchan@vicksburgpost.com