Lincoln and Copiah counties will host the annual Relay For Life event Friday.

The Copiah-Lincoln Relay For Life event will start at 6 p.m. at the Brookhaven Exchange Club Park.

The theme is “Wish Upon a Star.”

“We decided since the two areas are so close together, we can merge the two,” Relay For Life Community Manager Cindy Ashmore said “The hope is to have a larger-than-life event.”

All cancer survivors or those with cancer will receive a complimentary meal during the survivor dinner at 6 p.m. before the opening ceremony at 7 p.m. The opening ceremony includes three special laps around the park.

“The first lap is for our survivors, the second lap is for caregivers and the third lap is completed by the teams,” Ashmore said.

A luminaria ceremony is set for 10 p.m.

Closing ceremony and awards will be at 11 p.m.

Ashmore said many teams participate every year. Teams can be families, freinds, businesses, churches, schools, community organizations, caregivers and survivors as well as a combination of all of those. Teams will sell food, host activities and participate in the annual walk.

Ashmore said there is room to add more teams or for individuals to join existing teams. For more information, visit relayforlife.org/lincolnms.

“Teams will be selling food the entire night,” Ashmore said. “Some teams will be doing face painting and other activities for people.”

Ashmore expects the combination of counties to result in a record-breaking year. Both counties have brought in at least 1,000 people during their previous individual relays.

“We are already set up to go over the goal,” Ashmore said.