Show a friend how much you care – send them to jail.

“After all, it’s for a good cause,” said Brandy Smith, Andalusia Police Department secretary and organizer of this year’s Arrest a Friend, the department’s annual Relay for Life event. “In the past, we’ve had a great response to our fundraiser, and we’re hoping for another great year. Relay for Life is a wonderful event, and all of our proceeds go to benefit it.

“We’ve raised more than $25,000 with this project,” she said of last year’s event.

The event will be Wed., April 6, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Smith said some improvements have been made to how the day will work.

“This is to make the experience more enjoyable and entertaining,” she said. “In years past, warrants have been mostly obtained on the day of the event. This has proven difficult to ‘serve’ all of the warrants.”

Smith said there will now be a two-and-a-half day period to purchase warrants – Mon., April 4, and Tues., April 5, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the police department on Opp Avenue.

“Those who wish to sign a warrant on Wednesday can do so by coming to the court Square between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon,” she said. “No warrants will be accepted after noon.”

Warrants are $2 each, and a “bond” is set for release, she said.

“There are a few things you will need to sign a warrant,” she said. “The $2, of course, and the name of the individual and where we can pick them up from. In addition they will need to know what time of day is best to serve the warrant – morning or afternoon.”

Once the warrant is served, the arrestee also has two options, she said.

“No. 1: go to ‘jail,’ or No 2: pay their bond to the arresting officer and they will be released on scene,” she said. “If you choose to go to ‘jail,’ you will be booked in and placed into our Andalusia Police Department ‘jail.’

“This year, the department has been working on creating an actual jail cell for prisoners to be held in,” she said.

Pictures will also be available for purchase at the event for $2 and can be received when bond is made.

For those who are afraid that someone might be out to put them under the “jail,” a $25 “get out of jail free” card is available.

“There’s a limited amount of cards available, and they are only good for one warrant of equal or lesser value,” Smith said.

Those are available for purchase on April 4 and 5 at the police department.

For more information, contact Brandy Smith, (334) 222-1155, ext 3106, or Judy McCord at ext, 3104.