NEWPORT-In between torrential rains and paralyzing snowstorms, Cocke County Relay of Life volunteers officially kicked off this year's campaign last Friday night with at Victory Lanes.

Beverly Holland, American Cancer Society Community Representative introduced Katie Thomas and Cindy Holt, co-chairs of the 2013 drive to raise money for ACS.

Holt, a cancer survivor herself, is admissions director at Newport Health and Rehabilitation Center, and Thomas is the wife of Newport Medical Center CEO Spencer Thomas.

"Our goal this year is $98,000," said Holt. "Cocke County topped their goal last year by several thousand dollars and we look forward to doing the same thing this year."

The theme for this year's drive is "Go Big!", a tribute to Relay for Life's policy of "Relay Big! Hope Big! and Dream Big!"

For more details, please see the weekend edition of the Newport Plain Talk.