A volunteer committee meeting for Relay for Life will be at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Business First Bank, 1035 State St. in Santa Barbara, to begin planning the event designed to raise funds and awareness of the fight against cancer in the community.

Volunteers are being recruited for the event planning committee to ensure the April 21-22 American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Barbara is a success, organizers said.

Relay for Life is a fundraiser that allows participants from all walks of life — including patients, medical support staff, corporations, civic organizations, churches and community volunteers — celebrate the lives of those who have faced cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.

“Relay for Life is a community-owned, volunteer-driven event that is as much an awareness-raiser about the progress against cancer as it is a fundraiser,” said Lindsey Lockshaw, Relay for Life manager. “Individuals who are willing to give their time and energy to this exciting event, as a volunteer or participant, have made a commitment to fight back against this disease and let the community know that you can beat cancer.”

Relay for Life is a family-oriented, team event where participants walk around a track relay-style overnight. Teams of cancer-fighting enthusiasts will gather and camp-out at Bishop Garcia Diego High School on April 21-22 to show their support. Volunteers from the Santa Barbara community are needed to begin planning for the event, Lockshaw said.

Volunteers are needed to organize and recruit teams, seek community support and underwrite, coordinate logistics, obtain food and refreshment donors, plan entertainment and lend their support in any way. To join the Relay for Life in Santa Barbara as a volunteer or team participant, call the American Cancer Society at 805.560.6573, click here or e-mail Lockshaw at lindsey.lockshaw@cancer.org.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the society has 13 regional divisions and offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers. For more information, click here or call 800.ACS.2345.

— Lindsay Lockshaw is a Relay for Life manager for the American Cancer Society.