The Gresham Relay for Life is holding a kickoff event at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the banquet room of Gresham Golf Course, 2155 N.E. Division St.

Hundreds of participants will ring in the 2013 event with a rally celebrating the American Cancer Society’s goal to save lives and create more birthdays.

Relay for Life is an overnight community celebration in which individuals and teams camp out, picnic, dance, play games and take turns circling around a track, “relay” style, to raise funds and fight cancer.

The relay began in 1985, when one man circled around a track for 24 hours, raising $27,000. This year, Relay For Life has grown to more than 5,200 communities in more than 25 countries.

For more information, call Tabby Smith, event chairwoman, at 717-798-2203 or visit relayforlife.org/greshamor.