Though the 10th anniversary of the Freeborn County Relay for Life is still five months away, organizers are already gearing up for what they hope will be another successful relay.

Sadie Wuerflein, publicity chairwoman for the local relay committee, said committee members have been meeting for the last several months to prepare for the American Cancer Society’s signature event of the year. The event aims to draw cancer survivors and the community together to raise awareness about cancer and support for research.

This year’s relay, scheduled for Aug. 10, will again be at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds.

Wuerflein said the committee is looking for nominations for this year’s honored chairman or chairwoman, along with the honored caregiver and honored youth.

The people being honored attend monthly meetings, participate in the Third of July Parade and share the message of how cancer has affected their lives with the community, among other responsibilities.

Wuerflein said the committee is also trying to reach out to people who have not participated in the relay before and to encourage them to get involved — whether in the planning stages or on the actual night of the relay.

She said she has taken part in the relay before, but this is her first year being a part of the committee. There are still other committee openings.

In 2011, Freeborn County ranked eighth out of more than 5,000 different relays in the nation for the amount of money raised per capita for its Relay for Life fundraiser. Residents collected more than $130,000.