CASS COUNTY — In 2018 there will be a projected 1,735,350 new cancer cases and 609,640 cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society’s website.

While this figure is alarming by itself, it only begins to tell the story of the impact cancer has. For almost every cancer patient there are dozens of family members, close friends and co-workers who feel scared and confused. Cancer can quickly affect an entire community whenever it attacks a loved one.

That is why Cass County Cancer Services strives to make a difference for cancer patients in whatever way it can: be it by helping a spouse pay for a hotel while their significant other receives treatment or covering the cost of cancer medication that a patient can’t afford.

“The Cass County Cancer Services is a nonprofit organization and everyone involved with it is a volunteer,” said Deb Myers, a CCCS volunteer. “No one gets anything for doing what they do. Everyone is generously volunteering their time.”

In order to raise the money they need to serve the community, volunteers with the organization put on a few events throughout the year, one of which is the upcoming Cass County Cancer Service Quarter Paddle Auction.

The auction will take place on April 21 at the Edwardsburg American Legion Hall. Doors will open at 1 p.m., with the auction starting at 2 p.m. and ending around 5 p.m. — depending on the number of auctioned items.

The way the quarter auction works is attendees purchase a paddle for $5, which is designated a number. Then items are put up for auction and assigned a bet amount based on the value of each item. Items worth $10 to $24 cost one quarter, items worth $25 to $49 cost two quarters, items worth $50 to $74 cost three quarters and so forth. Every person with a paddle can then wager on an auction item based on its designed value. The paddle number of every bettor is then eligible to be drawn from a bingo cage and the number pulled is the winner of that item.

“I think over the past few years we’ve probably raised close to $7,000,” Myers said.

A variety of auction items will be available for attendees to bid on. Typically, the event auctions gift cards, homemade quilts, garden supplies, floral arrangements, furniture and other items that were donated by residents from Cass and Elkhart County. There will be a minimum of 50 items auctioned off.

This year, there is also a special item up for auction: a three-story, handmade dollhouse. Its value is said to be over $500. A special wagering process will take place for this particular item.

Members of the community who are unable to attend the auction are still able to participate.

“We have a form that they can fill out and they write a check to Cass County Cancer Services for $50 and they are entered into every single drawing,” Myers said. “Even if we went up to 100 drawings they are entered in that drawing because they paid that $50.”

Donated food items will also be available at the auction such as sloppy joes for around $2, as well as water and soft drinks for $1.

“For a couple of dollars you could have a meal while you are there,” she said

For more information, visit the Paddles for a Cause Quarter Paddle Auction Facebook page.