Discover Our Community.

It's a simple theme and one we celebrate in the Profile 2003 section, which begins inside today's edition of The Messenger.

During the course of the next week, The Messenger's staff will tell hundreds of stories through words, pictures and advertisements. These are the stories of the men and women, the businesses and organizations, that are Pike County.

The sections, which will publish incrementally today through Friday, focus on health; families and living; education; industry, agriculture and technology; Brundidge; a day in our lives, as told through photographs; and our heroes.

On Friday, we will announce The Messenger's 2003 Citizen of the Year and Unsung Heroes, as nominated by the community. In addition, a special section this year will focus on the men and women who are defending our freedom. The local members of the armed services, including the guard and reserve units activated from the area, will be honored. Photographs of those military heroes, shared by family members, will be included.

Profile 2003 represents hundreds of hours of effort, from each of The Messenger's staff members. It is an intensive effort, but one we proudly undertake each year to share with readers.

So join us as we Discover Our Community through Profile 2003.