Tonight Raymond Alvarez will be fighting for the green team -- and a cure for pediatric cancer.

Alvarez (senior-psychology), who will be dancing in the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon for the gymnastics club, will show up at the White Building, ready to battle in the Color Wars Kick Off.

"I am excited. ... I will get to meet all of the other people on the green team," he said. "To have all the dancers and moralers in one place is going to generate so much excitement and energy."

Aryn Gabai, Color Wars coordinator and morale captain, said he expects about 1,000 moralers and dancers to compete in four "surprise" events beginning at 9:45 tonight in the White Building main gym.

"This is just a little taste of what is to come Thon weekend," Gabai said. "This year the theme is 'Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Four Diamonds.' "

He said the actual Color Wars competition will be an ongoing event throughout the 48 hours of Thon to add a friendly, competitive incentive to the weekend.

"There are 19 events that the eight different color teams participate in," Gabai said.

"They are fun without being too difficult, but there is a definite motivation to win," he added.

He said there is a ranking system, and the winners will be announced at the end of the weekend. The winning color team will win prizes for their Four Diamonds families. Tonight's four competitions will count toward the total.

Morale Chair Mike Cocco said there is also a new reason to win this year.

"There is a trophy that the winning team will be able to etch their name into every year," he said.

Cocco said this is the fifth year Color Wars has been a part of Thon, and the second year there has been a kick-off event.

"Every year we keep improving the event, finding ways to get everyone more involved and excited," he said.

Gabai said that though the Morale Committee came up with many new events, some old favorites will be returning.

"We always have the stick-mania game," he said. "The teams try to cover their Four Diamonds child with the most stickers possible."

Morale Captain Julie Miller will be leading the Silver Surfers in the competition.

"My team's dancers and my moralers are all pretty psyched because of the competition aspect, and also how it can benefit the Four Diamonds children on our team," she said. "I know these events will get the dancers pumped while dancing and keep them going strong all 48 hours."

Morale Captain Celeste Brown, who helped create some of the games, said she expects the competition to be tough tonight.

"There have been small pranks played between different colored morale teams throughout the year so far, and I know competition will be at a high tonight," she said.

Gabai said he is proud to help create something that will help the dancers pass the time throughout the weekend.

"Thon has so much happening all the time," he said. "The positive side about Color Wars is that it is something consistent throughout all of the hullabaloo."