"We are people who help people," said Lynda Charles, co-founder and president of Help the Fight. "Our mission is as simple as that." Help the Fight is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping anyone currently receiving breast cancer treatment or anyone in need of screening to detect breast cancer. The organization will host its 13th annual fundraising banquet on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. The event will be held at Spooky Nook Sports, 75 Champ Blvd., Manheim.

"This is our main fundraiser for the year, and it's a blast," Charles stated, adding that there are a number of giveaway drawings and other opportunities to win prizes. The evening also includes an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner as well as both silent and live auctions. "We will auction off everything from artwork to quality jewelry, gift baskets, designer handbags and destination trips," Charles said. "We work really hard to get donations of items. We pound the pavement."

Help the Fight is an all-volunteer organization that began in 2009, after Charles' sister-in-law and a co-worker were diagnosed with breast cancer. Charles held a bake sale and raised more than $9,000 with just three weeks to pull everything together. "The community was amazing with their support," she recalled. "We saw that there was a want from people who wanted to help our cause and there was a need from people who needed our support." Since then, Help the Fight has raised more than $1 million for cancer patients. "Unfortunately, too many people are affected by and afflicted with breast cancer," Charles remarked. "It's not just a patient disease; it's a family illness. It affects the whole family."

Help the Fight provides financial support in a variety of ways tailored to each individual's needs. "We help with what their greatest need is," said Susie Dailey, patient coordinator. "It could be medical bills, rent, insurance, medication, transportation. We have filled oil tanks and put tires on a car. We help however we can." Screenings, including mammograms, ultrasounds and genetic testing, are also supported by funds from Help the Fight.

Charles noted that the annual banquet provides not only an opportunity to support the nonprofit, but also a chance to hear from some of the people who have been helped by the organization. "We usually have at least one patient speak," she stated. "It's very emotional when the crowd hears their story." She noted that tickets are limited to 500 this year, to keep the event large enough to raise significant funds but small enough to still feel intimate. "It's a casual event," she said. "People can dress up if they want to, or they can dress casually and comfortably. It's just a night of fun."

Help the Fight is also looking for volunteers to assist the organization year-round or specifically at the banquet. For more information, including to purchase tickets, visit http://bidpal.net/helpthefight or call the Help the Fight office at 717-455-7095.