The Mount Airy Junior Woman’s League held its second annual Fight for a Cure in hopes of not only teaching women how to defend themselves against attackers, but to raise money to fight cancer through Relay for Life.

Club President Mandy Fleming said the group raised around $300 for the charity this year. Surry County Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Latza, who is also a karate instructor, taught the class to 10 women free of charge in the Mount Airy Middle School auditorium Thursday night.

“Everybody really enjoyed themselves and had a good time,” said Fleming.

Fleming said many of the women came out to feel like they were doing something to help “fight out cancer.”

“I do think it’s beneficial that those ladies were out learning those things. Once you learn it, you feel like you are a little better prepared if a bad situation were to arise, you would know how to defend yourself. It makes you feel a little bit more confident in yourself,” Fleming said.

Although turn-out for the event was down from last year, Fleming said, she knows that those who did turn out to the event learned something.

“If there is one lady there who learned something that helps in the event of an attack, then it was all worth it,” she said.

She wanted to thank Latza for his time and Mount Airy Middle School for the use of its facility.

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.