Daily Herald editorial

A budding tradition holds a host of possibilities in the Austin area.

After a successful first year, the Austin Bruins have partnered with the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau to develop Paint the Rink Pink into a community effort.

The breast cancer fundraiser raised more than $22,000 for The Hormel Institute last year when it was just the Bruins.

It’s easy to see vast potential in an annual Paint the Town Pink. Mower County has a long history of giving communities fueling fundraisers for cancer research. The Lyle Area Cancer Auction has raised more than $1 million in its 33-year history and shattered its yearly record by raising $168,000 earlier this month.

What can be learned from Lyle’s success? Big things are possible when a community comes together with a unified goal.

If Austin gets the same enthusiastic efforts, there’s no reason Mower County won’t have another successful cancer fundraiser. At the Herald, our logo is pink all week, and we’ll cover all the events happening this week in the name of cancer awareness. We’re also asking for photos of people and businesses supporting the pink cause (click here to send your photo or email photodesk@austindailyherald.com), with the winner getting a Bruins sweatshirt signed by all the players, $25 in Chamber Bucks and two Bruins ticket vouchers for any game.

The more people, businesses and organizations that participate in Paint the Rink Pink, the more money will be raised for cancer research.

We urge everyone to become involved in this promising event to help jumpstart another cancer fundraiser, and — hopefully — a long Austin tradition.