You may have noticed lots of purple ribbons that materialized on lampposts and street signs over the weekend in New Carlisle, Medway and Donnelsville. Those reminders that The New Carlisle Relay for Life is almost here were put up by a group of hardy volunteers during Saturday’s stinging, windy weather.

Paint The Town Purple is an annual event that precedes the Relay. Organized by the American Cancer Society’s Rachel Zink, it’s a simple strategy to keep the upcoming event at the top of everyone’s mind.

“We want to get the word out to as many people as possible in as many ways as we can,” said Zink, a cancer survivor herself. “The Relay for Life is a very important fund raiser.”

The American Cancer Society Relay for Life, taking place Friday May 21 at 6 p.m. through Saturday May 22 at Noon, is a life-changing event that gives everyone in the community a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at TecumsehHigh School and take turns walking or running around the track. Each team has a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.