You wouldn’t think a community would look forward to early February in Minnesota.

Despite the cold, the snow and the wind chill, people in Mower County have created a tradition of giving. Every contribution toward the annual Paint the Town Pink fundraisers benefits cancer research, and it’s one we’re pleased to endorse and support.

This year, PTTP supporters hope to raise more than $140,000 so they can break the $500,000 mark donated over the past five years. It’s an incredibly ambitious and worthy goal to strive for.

It’s also a goal that’s entirely doable. Last weekend’s Plunging for Pink raised more than $52,000, and subsequent fundraisers are also bringing in donations for the Hormel Institute.

Every organization in our area is contributing to PTTP, including the Daily Herald. Reporter Trey Mewes raised money to jump in East Side Lake last Saturday and the Herald is running a pink flag on the top of Page 1 of the newspaper every day this week to support PTTP.

We encourage as many people as possible to do their part to support PTTP as well. The donations go toward cancer research at the Hormel Institute, which affects every one of us in some way. We salute residents for creating such a wonderful fundraising tradition and we hope PTTP grows even bigger for years to come.