“Island of Hope” is the theme for the 2015 Relay for Life of Whidbey Island campaign, which starts with a rally 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Oak Harbor Elks Lodge.

The public is invited to the event, which begins the process of recruiting fundraising teams as well as recognizing top achievers from last year.

Whidbey Island Relay for Life, an American Cancer Society fundraiser, is an overnight event set for May 29-30 at North Whidbey Middle School in Oak Harbor.

“Basically, we’re trying to get the island of Whidbey Island involved and promote it as not just an Oak Harbor event,” said Kelly Brock, who serves as co-chairman along with his wife Mary Brock.

“We wanted a Whidbey Island theme.”

Last year’s event involved 73 teams, 1,067 participants and raised $131,381.

The goal this year is for 81 teams and $160,000.

“The kickoff is our opportunity to invite all new and returning team captains to inaugurate the relay season of team captain meetings and fundraising, celebrate the previous year’s success and thank everyone for their dedication to our event and fighting cancer,” Mary Brock said.

The event will include ukulele playing and hula dancing.

The luminaria portion of the May event will be dedicated to Gordon Klatt, a Tacoma surgeon and Relay for Life founder who died from heart failure in August after battling stomach cancer.

For information on the Whidbey Island Relay for Life, go to www.relay.acsevents.org and type “Whidbey” into the search.