Mark your calendars, cancer fighters: The Butler County Relay For Life is set for May 6, 2011.

And the Butler County Chapter of the American Cancer Society is already making plans for next year’s event.

“Our kick-off will be January 18 at the Wendell Mitchell Conference Center in Greenville,” announced Galahad Smith, chairman of the local ACS board. The major focus for the board in coming months will be two-fold, Smith said: team recruitment and sponsorships.

“We are looking to bring back teams of the past, but we also want to get more of our county’s churches, schools, communities and businesses on board this year. And we’d like for them to be in place before our kick-off night in January,” Smith said.

The board is also actively seeking volunteers to serve on the Relay Committee.

“We can always use more people to help, whether it is assisting with entertainment activities Relay night, helping us get sponsorships, recruit teams, assist with Luminarias, mailing out fundraising letters-whatever you can do and however much time you have to spare, we can find a place for you,” Smith said.

A second multi-team chili cook-off is in the works as a fundraiser for Relay, and Karen Higgins and Debra Waller will also be bringing back the Butler County Bike Ride in 2011.

“It was very successful for the first year out, and I know they are planning to make it even bigger and better this year,” Smith said.

A new addition to the 2011 event will be a concession stand run by Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church to offer refreshments for attendees who are not survivors or on teams.

“We want the community to feel welcome and to come out and support the event, and we know everyone who does so doesn’t necessarily belong to a Relay Team. We hope the addition of concessions will make it a more enjoyable event for them,” Smith said.

Board members will be mulling over ideas for the 20ll theme and present their choices at the September meeting. Five themes will be chosen, with team captains getting to vote on their favorite.