If you are looking for a good time Friday night that will also do some good–and you are on the South Coast of Massachusetts–you should chug on down to the Greater Fall River Relay For Life Kick-Off Dinner at the Notre Dame Church Parish Center at 529 Eastern Avenue in Fall River. In addition to a buffet with food from more than 20 area restaurants, there will be drawings, dancing, and information about this year’s Relay. The event starts at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and children under six get in for free. There will be a table of activities for children, slide shows and music for the adults–in addition to all that food–and a good time to be had by all.

And if all that is not inducement enough, you can see me in my black tux playing master of ceremonies. I may even venture onto the dance floor to see whether or not any of my Fred Astaire, John Travolta and Footloose moves still work.  We will also try to provide a little of what my old friend Reverend Jim Lowe used to refer to as “soul food” as we celebrate survivors, remember our losses, and continue to figure out ways to fight back against the hideousness that is cancer.

This is the official launch of this year’s Greater Fall River Relay For Life. The event helps  raise the seed money for the planning committee so we can rent the tents and pay the initial expenses for this year’s event, which is June 22-23 at Somerset-Berkley Regional High School.

Last year’s event featured over 90 teams and raised over $308,000 for the American Cancer Society. That was good for ninth place among relays in New England.

The goals this year present a real challenge: top 100 teams year and try to reach $350,000. New Bedford beat us last year–they finished fifth–but we want to reel them into harpooning distance.

To do that, we are encouraging every team to try to reach the next fundraising level this year. If you didn’t reach bronze last year we want to help you get there. If you made bronze, make silver. If silver, then gold–and on up the ranks from there.

I have challenged the Walking with Jane team to set the pace this year. We won the team spirit award last year and raised about $4,300–that was good for silver. This year our target is $10,000.

We are poised for a great run. For the first time, we have chairpeople for very committee we are supposed to have. We already have two corporate sponsors on board locally and a bunch of teams lined up at the starting line.  But we will need lots of help to get there. If you ran a team last year, we need you back with us.  If you ran a team in the past but didn’t last year, we need you back. If you were part of a team last year–or the year before or the year before–we need you back. And if you have ever thought about doing the Relay for Life but never quite got there, we need you to get involved.

Cancer isn’t going away…but neither are we.

See you Friday night.

The Kick-Off Friday night is where it really all begins. Hope to see lots of you there.