The Miss-Lou’s heart will beat strong tonight.

It will pump love throughout Southwest Mississippi and central Louisiana. It will pump hope throughout the nation. It will pump strength for the world.

And it will all start on a relatively small patch of open land at the Vidalia Riverfront.

Some folks will begin preparing the pumping stations early this morning, pitching tents and hanging lights.

Others will pile in between 3 and 5 p.m.

But by 6 the heart will be working so hard one might think it could burst.

But it won’t. It’s only doing its job.

The Miss-Lou Relay for Life has received awards in the past for being, per capita, one of the nation’s largest. This year, Relay officials from other towns are on hand to see just how we do it.

Credit for the Miss-Lou’s success goes to more people than can be named. Organizers of the earliest Relays got us started, others have picked up the torch since then. But more than that, the success of the Relay belongs to the community. Every Relay team counts. Every donation matters.

A heart doesn’t beat because someone is watching or an award is on the line.

It beats because spreading love is in its job description. And tonight, love will spread.