Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Main Event of the year.

The Main Event is the name that Help the Fight gives to its biggest fundraiser.

Help the Fight, a nonprofit trying to deliver a knockout blow to breast cancer, will hold its 16th annual Benefit Banquet & Auction on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Spooky Nook, 75 Champ Blvd., Lancaster.

The Main Event is traditionally held on the first Saturday of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

People who wish to attend must register by Saturday, Sept. 13; the deadline for businesses to sponsor the event is Sunday, Aug. 31. Go to http://www.helpthefight.org to register or for additional information. Anyone with questions can call 717-455-7095 or email info@helpthefight.org.

The mantra for this year's event is "Shining Bright: 16 years of Hope and Resilience." There will be a memory hope table for people to write a note of remembrance to a loved one. Two people will share their impact stories.

"It's a great way for awareness and to share an evening together and then also to really embrace the impact that the funds being raised at this event and what they do to help those in need," said Help the Fight executive director Teresa Richardson. "It's pretty powerful to hear the stories and just to see everyone together."

There will be a live and silent auction and chances to win prizes. A pizza oven and weekend getaways will be up for bid, as well as wine tastings and gift cards.

An annual highlight is the live auction for a five-course meal at the home of Help the Fight founders Dave and Lynda Charles. "We're trying to have a lot of experiences, because I think that's what people like," Richardson said.

There will be a buffet dinner with mini desserts.

"It's very casual and fun," said Richardson. "It's a great space to bring people together to enjoy the night."

All the funds generated remain local. "That's something we pride ourselves in," said Richardson.

Dave and Lynda started Help the Fight in 2009 after Dave's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer after just beginning a new job. Soon after that, Dave and Lynda's assistant also got breast cancer. Help the Fight started with a bake sale along Columbia Avenue, and it raised $9,000, Help the Fight patient and volunteer coordinator Susie Dailey said.

Dailey noted that Help the Fight works with cancer centers in the area, and clients are referred by nurse navigators, social workers, or a doctors' office, or they find out about the group through a friend, the website, or social media. "We provide gap funding," said Dailey. "We help with rent, mortgage, utilities, medical bills, whatever the need is what we help the patient with."

One patient wanted her child to be able to attend karate lessons in an attempt to keep things normal, and Help the Fight made it happen. "We've filled oil tanks. We put tires on cars. We've filled prescriptions to help with their cancer diagnosis," Richardson said. "We help with transportation and groceries; whatever the need is, that's what we what we help with."

Help the Fight raises awareness about early detection and provides funding for screenings. The organization also assists patients with cold capping, a process that allows people to keep their hair while receiving chemotherapy.

The Main Event is also a way for Help the Fight to show its gratitude. "We have some very loyal supporters and businesses in the area that help us," said Richardson. "We wouldn't be able to do it without them."