With the Sisters’ Restaurant fund-raising dinner on Tuesday night, it seems the official Relay for Life fund-raising season is well under way in Pike County.

Teams have been hard at work already, putting on their creative hats in an effort to help raise $200,000 so Pike County can meet its 2010 goal.

From bake sales to benefit dinners, Old Newsboy events to yard sales, raffles to portrait sessions and more, the teams across the county have a plethora of creative opportunities for each of us to take part in the Relay fund-raising efforts.

And let’s be honest. This is a cause we can, and should, all support.

It seems none of us can escape the reach of cancer these days – young or old; rich or poor; brave or struggling. Cancer respects no one, no boundaries. It has affected many of our families; or our friends; or our neighbors. Many have fought the battle, and won; Others live on, in our hearts.

The Relay season, which culminates in the annual event at the Sportsplex, is a celebration of life and love. It is a celebration of the power of community … our efforts help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to aid in the research for a cure for cancer and in the funding of support for cancer patients. It is a celebration of the power of love and hope, both of which are at the very center of any cancer patient’s life.

So take time this month to support a Relay for Life fund-raising event or two. And buy a luminary in honor of someone you know who has battled cancer. Then come to the Relay for Life event on May 7.

We can’t think of a better way to invest your time and energy in our community and in the hope of a better life for so many others.