Have you heard naysayers and negative individuals claim that a handful of volunteers can’t make a difference? If so, maybe you should ask Bethany Bibb what she thinks about that concept.

Bibb, the nearly-17-year-old Ironton High School student who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was three, is awaiting a double-lung transplant. She will be the first to tell you that a handful of caring and compassionate individuals can make all the difference in the world.

A group of volunteers, collectively known as Bethany’s Buddies, put together a community-wide fundraising campaign that generated the more than $35,000 needed to pay for the medical procedures that could ultimately save Bethany’s life.

How can you ask for any more impact than that?

Bethany’s Buddies can serve as a shining example to other organizations and individuals who need something to pattern themselves after and reinforce the belief that we can make a difference.

The group will host a community celebration as a way to say thank you from 1 until 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14, on Quincy Street in Ironton, between Eighth and Ninth streets, next to New Jerusalem Christian Center, where Bethany attends.

This group of volunteers — and the community that has supported them — has worked so hard and shown so much dedication.

Their efforts have meant so much to the Bibb family and has showed the true spirit of the Tri-State and Lawrence County.