Women and girls of the Greenville community are invited to join in the fight against cancer in a way that only they can.

Harley’s Angels is sponsoring the 2013 Relay Beauty Pageant on April 6 at the Ritz Theatre.

The pageant is open to all age groups, starting with newborns all the way up to the golden category consisting of women 45 and up.

New to this year’s event is that the daytime portion, which begins at 1 p.m., has been further subdivided into glitz categories starring both 2-3 year olds and 4-5 year olds in separate pageants.

The nighttime pageant begins at 7 p.m. with girls ages 6 and up.

There will also be a Miss Photogenic in each division. Entry is $5 per picture.

Natalie Langford, branch manager at Manpower and a member of Harley’s Angels, is in charge of this year’s event.

Presiding over the event is more than just a responsibility to her. It’s an opportunity to combat a serious problem that affects many members of the community.

“For me, I guess it’s just knowing that (cancer) doesn’t discriminate on age,” Langford said.

“It doesn’t matter what color you are, where you’re from or where you live.  It’s devastating, and if you’ve ever been a part of it or know someone who’s been through it, it ‘s a very hard thing to go through.”

Although Langford said that the organization usually receives plenty of help from the Relay committee, citing Americorps’ contribution last year in particular, help is still needed.  Most positions involve aiding the girls throughout the many stages of the pageant, including helping them get ready, make it to the stage and ensuring that they go out on stage in a certain order.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the Harley’s Angels Relay for Life event page on Facebook, or picked up at Manpower and Essentials in downtown Greenville.

The entry deadline is April 2.

Instead of getting caught in the formalities of the pageant, Langford stressed the importance of remembering the significance of it all.

“We just want people to know that this is something that we want the girls to come and have fun at,” Langford said.

“I know it’s a competition — it is a beauty pageant — but they need to focus on the reason why we do this, and that’s to support the American Cancer Society.”