LINCOLN - For one of the organizers of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Logan County, the upcoming May 17 fundraiser has become personal.

Shayne Squires is the regional communication director and helps with the organization of the event. Last May, she lost her mother to lung cancer. This year's event will be another reminder of her mother's courage and an opportunity to raise money to help others who are suffering.

"The theme for this year is 'Celebrate, remember, fight back,' " she said. "That is really appropriate for everyone who has been touched by cancer. We celebrate the lives of those we have lost and for those who are survivors. We remember those we have lost and we fight back for those with cancer and their friends and families."

The 11th annual event begins at 1 p.m. at Lincoln Christian College's Laughlin Center. Organizers hope to raise at least $75,000. In the past, more than 2,000 people and 45 teams have participated.

Teams walk laps for 24 hours, starting with a survivor lap.

"Logan County has really been a very good resource for us," said Anne Neff, another of the American Cancer Society organizers. "We have had good support from the community. The teams are always very anxious to help out and once again, we are looking forward to having it in Lincoln."

Already, two teams have signed up for the event. Squires said most of the teams will get organized and sign up once the event draws closer.

"One of our goals is to promote awareness of the fight against cancer and we would like everyone to be involved in the issues surrounding cancer," Squires said. "In terms of our theme of fighting back, we want people to be aware of the changes they can make to fight back against cancer, even doing some simple things like changing their diet and eating more fruits and vegetables. Our goal is to raise money, but we also want to raise awareness."

New this year will be the chance for participants to enroll in a research study. The American Cancer Society's Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research is inviting men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 years who have no personal history of cancer to join a historic research study.

The goal is to find 500,000 adults from various racial and ethnic backgrounds from across the United States. The purpose of the study is to better understand the lifestyle, behavioral, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer and to ultimately eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

More information about the research study or the event can be found at www.relayforlifelogan.com or by calling (217) 523-4503.