A 16-year Mower County tradition is in the starting blocks again.

The fundraising kick off for this year’s Relay for Life, which benefits the American Cancer Society, honors cancer survivors and remembers loved ones lost to the disease, takes place in Austin, Saturday, April 4.

From 8 to 10 a.m. at Applebee’s restaurant, festivities include a flapjack fundraiser, with a breakfast of pancakes, sausage and a beverage for $6, and depending on weather, a car show-style “cruise in,” which offers a chance for car, truck and motorcycle collectors to show off their treasures.

There is no registration fee for the car show, and a “People’s Choice” award will be given.

“It will probably be the first car show of the spring,” said Linda Baier, this year’s Mower County Relay for Life chair. “We think people will probably be antsy to get their cars out.”

Team captains can pick up information packets and prospective team members can ask any questions they have at the Applebee’s event, as well as from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at both Hy-Vee and the Sterling Shopping Center.

Baier said 32 teams participated last year, with roughly two to 15 to a team. The 2008 event raised $89,000 locally.

“That was excellent,” Baier said. “That was totally awesome. Our goal was $68,000, so it was unbelievable. We had no idea the community would support us that much.”

While there is no team registration fee, each team member is expected to raise $100, and Baier said most of that comes from the sales of luminarias, which are small decorative bags lit up and placed around the relay grounds.

The Mower County Relay for Life takes place at Mill Pond in Austin, and for 2009 will be held Aug. 1 and 2.

The luminarias can be purchased at any of the April 4 kick off sites for $10 and can be decorated by the person who purchases it. Each bag is purchased to honor either a cancer survivor or someone who has died from cancer, with the names of the survivors in red or pink and the names of the deceased in black.

According to the American Cancer Society, the first team relay event was held in 1986, when 19 teams participated in Washington. Today, more than 4,400 relays occur throughout the United States, with 16 nations joining the efforts. More than $364 million has been raised worldwide.

For more information, call Linda Baier at 433-6812 or visit www.mowercountyrelayforlife.org.