Some people are luckier than others.

I know many people whose relation to cancer is a tale of loss, survival, hope and despair.

It is a family history, a personal battle, a reality.

I am one of the luckier ones.

None of my immediate family has been affected by cancer, nor any of my close friends.

But a step outside that inner circle tells a different story.

Cancer does touch everyone, in some way.

Which is why it’s been so fantastic this week to see the Horsham and district community put forward a united stand against the disease.

Paint the Town Purple is more than just a week of purple decorations in shop windows.

It is a promise to the community that there is hope.

If you haven’t had the opportunity yet, take some time to walk through Horsham.

Drive out to O’Connors Farm Machinery, a first-time participant in Paint the Town Purple, or to the Catholic parish centre or Wimmera Base Hospital.

Participate in business’s fundraisers, which raise money for Relay For Life teams and in turn Cancer Council Victoria.

Take a look at the displays in the many businesses involved.

The use of purple is a mark of solidarity, of a fight – we as a community can beat this disease.

Some businesses have used artistic talents to show their support, while others have used their stock to promote the good cause.

At Horsham Undercover Lingerie, there is a poem in the window that owner Jenny Thomson used as inspiration when she had cancer.

Purple displays take on another significance when you realise the stories that led to them.

There are clever displays, such as Helloworld Horsham’s take on ‘painting the town purple’, Des Lardner’s Organic’s ‘giving cancer the boot’ feature and Horsham Library’s ‘booking in for Paint the Town Purple’.

It’s impossible to go down Horsham’s main street without being taken by the sea of purple, and that’s a wonderful thing.

Some businesses have used variations of an inspirational quote in their windows:

“Supporting the fighters, admiring the survivors, honouring the taken and never, ever giving up hope.”

Relay For Life’s slogan is ‘Hope lives in...’ and this week Paint the Town Purple has proved hope lives in Horsham and the Wimmera.

By the weekend, the purple displays might come down, but the support is still there.

Sign up for the March 2015 Horsham and Districts Relay For Life and be one of the thousands who continue the fight in the battle against cancer.

Congratulations to all involved.