With nearly 30 teams currently in place, and more than $6,000 in sponsorship monies already turned in, the 2007 edition of the Butler County American Cancer Society's Relay For Life is off to a good start, says RLF Chair Joan Reynolds.

Reynolds met with fellow board members on Wednesday at the Greenville YMCA for updates on all phases of preparation for the big event, slated for 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. May 11-12.

The event returns to the Y football field this year, with Ralph Stacy once again serving as event emcee and Greenville Wal-Mart, as the event sponsor.

There are some changes on tap, however.

One of those is the replacement of the long-running Womanless Beauty Pageant with the &#8220Relay Idol” Talent Competition.

&#8220I know Greta Whiddon (activities and entertainment chair) has a number of cute and different ideas in mind for this year. The fact is, you have to keep changing things up with any type of annual event such as this - or things end up getting very stale,” Reynolds said.

Another change being considered is the addition of a &#8220Torch of Honor” to the luminaria ceremony at Relay.

&#8220This is something that is being done with a lot of success in some other places. We have people who always give us $100 or more for the luminarias, when we only ask for a minimum $5 contribution,” said Ethelyn Watson, luminaria chair for RLF.

&#8220We want to give those donating $100 or more a chance to participate by offering these torches. They would be lit during the luminaria ceremony by a family member or friend in honor or memory of a loved one.”

The Annual Cancer Survivors Luncheon returns on May 4 at First Baptist Church's Family Life Center and is tentatively set for 11 a.m.

&#8220We have Harlon Burton, who was with us last year and did such a great job, returning as our entertainment for this year's luncheon,” Survivors Chair Linda Holley said.

All team captains are encouraged to mark their calendars for their next and final meeting, which is slated for 5 p.m. April 19 at the Y. Bank Night is slated for Thursday, May 10, the night before Relay.

Teams Recruitment Chair Ann Steiner Gregory said she is putting plans into place to streamline the Bank Night process as teams turn in their donations, receive their Relay Bucks and pick up their T-shirts.

&#8220I believe we are off to a wonderful start, with more teams than we have ever had at this point before Relay. I think we are going to have another great event,” Reynolds said.

For more information on the upcoming ACS Relay for Life in Butler County, contact Joan Reynolds at 382-8048 or visit www.acs.org.