The 25th annual Relay for Life cancer fundraiser is Friday, and Chairman Michelle Goode has one piece of advice for the community:

“Tell everybody to come on out,” Goode said.

This year the event will be held at Goodyear Park, though as always the fundraiser features food and giveaways, and it’s a big source of funds for local cancer victims.

“It goes to the American Cancer Society, and they fund local programs,” Goode said. “We have a lot of people who travel because we don’t have a clinic here, so a lot of people travel to St. Tammany Parish or even further. And one of the things we fund is the Hope Lodge and it’s a place where anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer can stay for free, if they have to go to New Orleans to get cancer treatments or meet with their doctor.”

The event begins at 10 a.m. The Relay for Life celebration features teams of volunteer walkers from different organizations from around the community. Each team member walks and raises money.

“We’ll probably have about 20 different teams from across the parish — there’ll be food, desserts, raffles and we’ll have some live music,” Goode said.

Each Relay, the big moment of the evening comes at the luminary lighting in honor of those who have died of cancer. This Friday, that will be at 9 p.m. and a survivor lap will begin at 6 p.m.

This year’s fundraising goal is $60,000. Goode said the local Relay for Life chapter has until Dec. 31 to raise the money, and so far they’ve secured about $20,000. Last year they raised $40,000, and since they met the goal last year, she said the group wanted to be a bit more ambitious this year.

Goode said she’s certain anyone who comes out will have a good time. The only uncertainty, she said, is the weather.

“Hopefully the weather will be good for us,” she said.