With the Coles County Relay for Life scheduled for Aug. 20, The American Cancer Society is starting to get down to plan the relay.

Jason Wyatt, the publicity and sponsorship chair for Relay for Life Coles County, sent out a press release, which said a committee will be meeting on Jan. 18 to beginning the planning process.

Wyatt said the committee has been made up of community volunteers since Coles County has had Relay for Life.

The number of community volunteers has gone down and the committee currently has about 15 members.

“The committee is open to everybody and there are different positions,” Wyatt said. “(Community members) can get involved for one day by making phone calls or by taking a spot on the planning committee.”

Wyatt said volunteering for the committee can be time consuming but volunteers are able to do what they feel they can do for the committee.

There are different groups the committee will break into when they begin planning, which includes planning the opening ceremonies, planning the illuminaria ceremony, entertainment, and other parts of the relay.

“Relay is not about one individual person, it’s about the community,” Wyatt said. “(We want) to help encourage others to be involved and support the survivors and caregivers.”

The committee has plans to meet once a month at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center for about an hour to plan the relay. According to the Relay for Life of Coles County website, there will also be some meetings taking place at the Douglas Hart Nature Center and at Peterson Park.

Relay for Life is scheduled to be at Peterson Park, 208 N 19th St., in Mattoon from noon to midnight.

The press release said people join the American Cancer Society in their fight to create more birthdays and less cancer by participating with the committee.

“If you would like to help plan these 2016 events and take a step to fight cancer please attend,” the press release said.

The press release also said the relay helps unite the community in celebrating those who have battled cancer and survived, remembering those we have lost, and it provides the opportunity for the community to fight back against the disease.

Wyatt said in the press release to contact him for more information or visit the Coles County Relay for Life website.

The first meeting for the committee is planned for Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Education Wing of the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.

Wyatt said the room will not be scheduled until the day of the meeting and he also said that the meeting would not be hard to miss.

“We will be loud and boisterous,” Wyatt said.

Mackenzie Freund can be reached at 581-2812 or at mgfreund@eiu.edu.