FERRIDAY, La. – In the fight against cancer in Concordia Parish, one group of churchgoers is turning to prayer.

First Baptist Church of Vidalia’s Relay for Life team is organizing a prayer breakfast to ask God to bless the upcoming Relay for Life benefit and help to curb the incidence of cancer in Concordia Parish.

The &uot;Cross Out Cancer&uot; prayer breakfast will start at 8:30 a.m. April 21 at the community center at the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility on Louisiana 15 just south of Ferriday.

While the leading cause of death in Concordia in 1997 was heart disease, cancer came in second with 49 deaths – a rate of 236.2 deaths per 100,000 people, higher than the state wide rate of 214.6.

Simmons is also a member of First Baptist Church’s Relay for Life team. Proceeds from the relay – set for May 4 on the Vidalia riverfront – fund cancer research and screenings as well as counseling and other services for cancer patients.

The breakfast, which will be open to the public, will feature music by Kristin Nunn of Vidalia and prayers and speeches by several Concordia ministers, including:

4The Rev. Gary Nunn of First Baptist Church of Vidalia.

4The Rev. Troy Thomas of Bethel Church in Vidalia.

4The Rev. Freddie Schiele of Mercy Seat Baptist Church in Ferriday.

4The Rev. Gary Howington of First United Pentecostal Church of Ferriday.

4Father Paul Kunnumpuram of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Vidalia.

4The Rev. Bobby Crews of Ridgecrest Baptist Church.

About 30 to 35 minutes of prayer will be followed by breakfast in the community room. Participants can wear casual clothes to the event – &uot;no dressing up required,&uot; Simmons said.

To buy tickets for the prayer breakfast, call Simmons at 336-5671 on weekdays during business hours or call First Baptist Church of Vidalia at 336-7111.