Want to hear a scary statistic?

According to research done by the American Cancer Society, approximately 569,490 Americans will die of cancer this year.

That’s more than 1,500 people per day, or one in every four deaths in the United States. That makes cancer the second most common cause of death in the country, second only to heart disease.

Those are some pretty staggering numbers, and an indication about just how serious our country’s battle with cancer really is.

Friday night is our chance to fight back.

The 2011 Relay for Life of Butler County will begin at 6 p.m. at the Greenville YMCA as 24 teams go “Rustlin’ for a Cure.”

There will be lots of fun events like the chicken chase and womanless beauty pageant to go along with the more somber moments like the Survivors’ Walk and lighting of the luminaria, which are illuminated bags bearing the names of those who have battled cancer.

We believe Relay for Life is an important event.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life celebrates the lives of people who have battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost to cancer and helps us fight back against this disease, which has impacted so many.

It’s also a chance for us as a community to rally around those in Butler County who are affected by this terrible disease by doing our part to raise money for cancer research.

Since 1975 the survival rate of those diagnosed with cancer has increased by 18 percent thanks to progress in diagnosing and improvements in treatment. This is thanks in part to funds raised by Relay for Life events across the nation.

What can we do as a community to take part in fighting cancer?

Besides showing our support by attending Friday night’s Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society lists several other ways to get involved.

• Sponsor a Relay For Life participant or team with a generous, tax-deductible donation.

• Volunteer for the American Cancer Society’s many services and programs. To learn more about volunteer opportunities visit cancer.org.

• Become a grassroots advocate to help work with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer. Learn how you can take action at acscan.org/relay.

• Protect yourself by learning and following the American Cancer Society’s prevention and early detection guidelines at cancer.org.

We hope to see you all at the YMCA on Friday night.