Relay for Life organizers expect big support from the community for tonight’s annual American Cancer Society’s fundraising event. The theme for this year’s Relay For Life is Superheroes.

“We encourage everyone in the community to participate,” community manager Scarlet Fowler said. “Everyone knows someone whose life has been impacted by cancer in some way. Come out and walk and support the family-friendly event.”

“Last year we had 14 teams, and this year we have 24,” she said. “We expect team participation to be very high and we have a lot of students who are very involved.”

The event is scheduled to run from 6 p.m. until midnight at Vicksburg High School’s Memorial Stadium. The Vicksburg Police Department will be providing security and all children 16 and under need to be accompanied by an adult.

Admission is $2 per person or $10 for a family of five or more.

In 2010 the event was shut down early, blamed in large part to unaccompanied teenagers and poor planning. The annual event has struggled to regain its popularity since.

Planning has not been an issue this year as Fowler has headed the event for the first time.

“Scarlet has been wonderful and we hope she’s able to continue with us next year,” said Pearl Carter a longtime Relay for Life volunteer and Cancer Action Network Advocate.

Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s largest fundraiser. Events are held throughout the nation.

This year the goal for the 15th annual Warren County Relay for Life is $47,000 and Fowler said she is confident the teams will reach that.

“We have 24 teams, but only 11 reported, so there’s 13 teams that haven’t turned in any money,” Fowler said. “We won’t be able to account for them until event night.

“We have 20 teams that will be doing on-site fundraising,” she said. “A lot of our fundraising happens event night.”

According to the Mississippi Department of Public Health, cancer is the second leading cause of death in Mississippi. In 2014, the American Cancer Society estimated 15,740 new cases of cancer would be diagnosed during the year in Mississippi.

“This disease is so prevalent, so wide spread, and it’s more than just one disease. I think they say there’s about 200 different types of cancer,” Carter said. “We get a handle on one kind … whereas some other forms of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, there’s not a lot they know to do as of yet.”

In Mississippi, the most frequently diagnosed cancers include lung, prostate, breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. While there are over 200 types of cancer, some of the most common are lung, bladder, prostate, breast, colorectal, liver, endometrial, kidney, leukemia, melanoma of the skin, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic and thyroid cancers.