Pike County Relay for Life kicked off in what, community contact, Joy Birgham called “non-traditional” fashion.

Relay season kicked off Monday night at Sips on the Square with board members and hopeful participants gathering together to enjoy good food, good company and good music all in the hopes of battling cancer.

“The kickoff event is really to build the energy and build the excitement for Relay season,” Brigham said. “Relay season is from now until the event happens on May 1, 2015, but what we want to do is encourage people and excite people to get them out and fundraising. Because raising money is not all we do, but it funds everything we do. WE have to have the fundraising in order to be able to provide the services and find a cure, hopefully, one day.”

Brigham, who has been working as Relay’s staff partner for Pike County for the last year, said it was important to be able to get community involvement with seeking a cure for cancer because every little bit helps.

“It is absolutely necessary to have community involvement,” Brigham said. “Cancer affects most every body in some way. This is a way for people to fight back against it and make a difference.”

While there is still some time until the official Relay for Life event on May 1, Brigham said there were plenty of ways a person could help out between now and May, including the Relay for Life board.

“We still need more board members,” Brigham said. “To have a successful event, we need more people. If anybody is interested in joining the board, we have a place for you.”

According to Brigham, Pike County was able to raise almost $100,000 in an effort to seek a cure for cancer, but this year Brigham said she was issuing a challenge to citizens of Pike County to raise more than last year’s $96,000 total.

“We know that Pike County is capable of more, because there has been more,” Brigham said. “We really want to build back the energy and the enthusiasm in Pike County and get back to the big event. A lot of people think, ‘I’m just one person. I can’t do anything,’ but one person can absolutely do something.”