OncoLogics, Inc. will sponsor the annual Krewe of Docs dinner and concert Thursday at the Laurel Train Depot. The event, which was held at The Reserve last year, is a American Cancer Society Relay for Life fundraiser for the Laurel-based radiation oncology center.

Kelly McKee, radiation therapist for OncoLogics, Inc., said the center’s seven-member staff is excited about the event, which raised more than $5,000 in 2009.

“The idea came up that this was Mardi Gras season, but there’s really nothing like this in the area,” McKee said of the origins of Krewe of Docs. “We decided to have a Mardi Gras-themed fundraiser for ACS and get local doctors to be the servers.”

Tickets for the event are $25 each and include a variety of Cajun delicacies and a performance by the Cowboy Blues Band, another ACS favorite.

“Our medical dosimetrist Billy LeBlanc, who’s originally from New Iberia, La., will be making gumbo,” McKee said. “We’ll also have red beans and rice, a pasta dish and bread pudding.”

McKee said the night will also include a silent auction and door prizes. In addition to McKee and LeBlanc, OncoLogics’ staff includes radiation therapists Gay Rasberry and Angele Murray, office manager LaDonna Breland, nurse Stacey Welborn and radiation oncologist Dr. Cameron Pimprell.

“OncoLogics offers radiation for cancer patients,” McKee said. “But, cancer touches everyone whatever your profession. It’s close to our heart because we see it every day.”

McKee said the center is a big supporter of Relay for Life just as the American Cancer Society supports them.

“The American Cancer Society does a lot for our patients,” she said. “They provide wigs, prosthetics and money for transportation.”

Paige McCardle, senior community representative for the American Cancer Society, said she is looking forward to Thursday’s event.

“Mardi Gras and the Cowboy Blues Band all for a good cause, you can’t ask for much more than that,” she said. “A lot of people have been questioning the weather. But, the event is still on.”

McCardle said Relay for Life, scheduled for May 7 at the Sportsplex, is quickly taking shape.

“We always say that if you can find 10 friends that you want to spend the night with, you can have Relay team,” McCardle continued. “Our team captain meetings have been a lot better attended because I think people are real excited about the information they get every month.”

McCardle said the Jones County Relay for Life has steadily grown in the past five years and is now the second largest event in the state.

“We’ve never had as much support from our local newspaper and radio stations as we have had in the past four years,” she said. “People are truly becoming ambassadors for what the American Cancer Society is doing in the local community. We may not have a research facility in Jones County, but we do benefits for that research.”

For more information on Krewe of Docs or to purchase tickets, call OncoLogics, Inc. at 601-425-2999.