ORRVILLE — A Dallas County School student is inviting the community to join the fight against cancer with a walk-a-thon. 

Keith High School student Terrance Johnson has schedule Orrville’s first A Walk for Ribbons walk-a-thon for April 26 at the Orrville Community Center from 9 a.m. to noon. Walking participants are asked to give a $10 donation, which will go to the American Cancer Society, an organization that has dedicated more than 100 years to battling cancer and supporting all affected by it.

“A lot of people in this area and the Selma area have cancer, and I wanted to do something to help out or something to change that,” Johnson said.

There will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed and 585,720 cancer deaths in the U.S. in 2014, according to the American Cancer Society. The organization also reported cancer as the second most common cause of death in the country with cancer being the source of nearly one in four deaths in the country.

Participants will walk half a mile around the Orrville Community Center. Attendees will also be able to enjoy gospel entertainment and refreshments.

For almost three months, Johnson has been preparing for next Saturday’s event with hopes of beating an illness that has harmed and killed several of his family members.

“I think it’s very important the community come out to support this,” Johnson said. “Not only is it just for a cancer walk, it’s also to get our community back together.”

With help from Orrville Mayor Louvenia Lumpkin, Johnson hopes to make the A Walk for Ribbons walk-a-thon an annual event.

For more information, call Johnson at 419-5008 or 510-0329.