Trying to raise $100,000 for cancer research is a tough task in any community and in any economy. Throw in a still-sluggish economy in an area that has battled high unemployment and you have a task many would find unrealistic.

Thankfully the Dallas County Relay for Life has Tanya Miles at the helm as well as a track record of reaching their goal — regardless the obstacle.

“It’s going OK right now. We still have room for any teams that want to come on board, even with a week or so left,” Miles said. “We have lost some teams from last year, but we are keeping the faith that we are going to meet our goal.”

The goal of $100,000 for this year’s Relay for Life will also see a slight venue change from recent years.

This year, the Relay for Life — scheduled for Friday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. — will be held at the walking trail next to Bloch Park instead of Memorial Stadium.

“And, for those who don’t want to organize a team, we will happily accept any donations of any amount,” Miles said. “We’ll take big donations, small donations, pennies. Our effort right now is raising as much money as possible for cancer research.”

In an effort to help the Dallas County Relay for Life, the Times-Journal is joining in, launching a special Facebook challenge.

If the Times-Journal’s Facebook page reached 5,000 likes by Thursday, April 18, the newspaper will donate $500 to the Relay for Life effort.

Currently, the Times-Journal page has 4,862 likes, which is 138 short of the goal needed. Those interested can simply log on to Facebook and search for “Selma Times Journal” and click the “like” button.