There’s still work to be done, but a long lost Selma tradition might return this Labor Day weekend.

Years ago hundreds of people would float down the river in tubes and rafts in the city’s annual river raft race, but the tradition was lost over time.

Victor Shaw and other members of the Blackbelt Benefit Group and Grow Selma are trying to bring it back.

Shaw said he’s applied for a permit with the Alabama Marine Police to hold the race, but is still waiting for approval.

Obviously that seems to be the biggest hurdle for organizers to clear in order for the race to happen, especially considering how many people in Selma seem to be supporting the idea.

If anything, the raft race’s potential return shows the strength of social media. Shaw saw where members of Selma Shine & Shout — a Facebook group where current and former members of the community discuss the current state of the city — had posted pictures of the raft race from the 1980s and before.

It peaked his interest and when he found out it no longer took place, he started researching what the races were like and what it might take to bring it back.

A lot of that research probably was helped by other Facebook users, who posted pictures of previous races and likely helped fill in some of the blanks.

A new race would give Selma something many other communities do not have and might attract families during Labor Day weekend, which is also when the city holds its fireworks show.

Shaw and those working with him to get the race started deserve a lot of credit. They hit the ground running and have taken the initiative on bringing a lost tradition back.

There are still plenty of issues to be worked out, so we don’t recommend drawing up blueprints for a raft yet, but we are hopeful this can happen this year.