The Carbon-Tamaqua Unit of the American Cancer Society will kick off its annual Daffodil Days Campaign this Wednesday, at 9 a.m., at Rosie's Family Restuarant (formerly Julia's) in Lansford. The event is open to the public and free refreshments will be served. Organizers view the kick off as a perfect opportunity for residents to learn more about Daffodil Days and ways to become involved.

Corporate sponsors for this year's local campaign include Gold Sponsors - BTM Inc. of Jim Thorpe and The First National Bank of Palmerton. 2010 Bronze sponsors are Hiles Brothers Companies, Jim Thorpe National Bank, Ohl Fuel Oil, Shafer's Pharmacy and Trattoria 903. Mauch Chunk Trust will serve as a 2010 Corporate Friend. The fundraiser, which historically coincides with the coming of Spring, is expected to raise $43,000 locally, with more than $4 million statewide.As the first flower of Spring, daffodils are the perennial ACS symbol of hope for cancer patients throughout the community. Funds raised by the Daffodil Days campaign enable the ACS to save lives and create more birthdays by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures and by fighting back.In addition to the usual bunch of daffodils for $10, supporters may choose a box of 500 for $500 or a half box for $250. This year also marks the addition of "Birthdays R Hope," the sixth in a special Boyd's Bear collection designed exclusively for the ACS. The bear, accompanied by a bunch of flowers, is available for $25. A special edition Daffodil Days vase with 10 flowers is available for $15. Also, donors may choose to comfort a child in the community by donating $25 to Project Care, which provides a Boyd's Bear and flowers to affected children. Or, donations of $25 or more may be earmarked for Project Hope, which offers the opportunity to anonymously donate daffodils and cancer information to a local cancer patient.For more information about Daffodil Days, call the ACS at 888-227-5445. Advance orders will be accepted until Feb. 22. Daffodils will be delivered the week of March 15-21.The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. For more information about the ACS, call 1-800-227-2345, day or night, or visit

www.cancer.org.