Volunteers for the Manteca Relay for Life April 30-May 1 to raise funds to fight cancer spent Saturday placing purple ribbons around town.

The 2011 Relay for Life edition starts at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Sierra High track. Organizers are encouraging people to wear purple - the official Relay for Life color - in the days leading up to the Relay for Life event. They are hoping to surpass the $1 million in accumulative fundraising this year.

The Manteca Relay for Life has been selected as one of a number of enrollment centers for a new cancer research initiative undertaken by the American Cancer Society.

The Cancer Prevention Study - 3 (CPS-3) being launched by the American Cancer Society’s Epidemiology Research Program is inviting men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 years who have no personal history of cancer to join the historic research study. The ultimate goal is to enroll 500,000 adults from various racial/ethnic backgrounds from across the U.S. By joining CPS-3, you can help researchers understand how to prevent cancer, which will save lives.

CPS-3 is a grassroots effort where local communities from across the country can support cancer research not just through fundraising efforts, but also by participating actively in the research study.

For more information about CPS-3 go to www.cancer.org/Research/ResearchPrograms/CancerStudyPrevention-3/index or email cps3@cancer.org or call toll-free 1-888-604-5888.