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Family and friends support each other in the battle to cure cancer. Pictured are Dana Carpenter, front center, and L to R, Carole Lenhart, Jay and Laurel Rittenbaugh, Chad Carpenter, and Mike Storter at rear center.
Relay for Life Kickoff P
lant City has big plans for its annual Relay for Life. You are part of the plan. Here’s how to help exceed last year’s incredible accomplishment.
Teams are forming now and meeting times are set at 6:30 p.m. in the Plant City High School Media Center for the following dates: November 15, December 13, January 24, February 21, March 14 and “Bank Night” is April 4th. The 2011 theme is “Curing Cancer … From Our City to Yours!” Groups from area schools, businesses, churches, civic organizations, and just plain friends/family entourages will camp out, chow down, play games, entertain, walk, encourage, and comfort each other when the teams join forces on April 8-9 at the PCHS football complex to “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back.” Relay for Life of Plant City received some wonderful news at the recruitment meeting held October 23 at First Baptist Church. A $5,000 donation on behalf
of the Massachusetts-based Beveridge Family Foundation, Inc. (think Stanley Home Products) was presented to the sponsorship fund for our city’s efforts to cure cancer. What a great start!
Sponsorships begin at $250 and continue to the Gold Level at $7,500. Sponsors receive valuable local media exposure, so the sooner involved, the better. There’s also the just plain “feels good” satisfaction of making a difference in our little corner of the world. Plant City’s efforts are quite remarkable. At the 2010 Relay for Life, our community was the 4th largest contributor in Florida to the American Cancer Society’s annual cause. Sixty-six teams collected $243,000, including $21, 025 in sponsorships. The 2011 goal is $250,000. Will you help? The recent meeting was well attended and most were brought to tears when Dana Carpenter shared how much Relay for Life has meant to the family since the death of Megan, their inspiring 17-year-old
Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back Written By: Cheryl Johnston
daughter. Megan went to be with her Lord in 2006, after a courageous five-year fight against a rare form of cancer that strikes only one in one each year. In her honor, adults and children visit the “Megan Tent” staffed by volunteer stylists for haircuts, manicures, shoulder massages, and the very special “Princess Makeovers.” This will be the 5th R4L event for the Carpenter family and friends Everyone in the room could relate because each had somehow been touched by cancer, either their own life or a loved one’s. Laughter replaced the tears when local teacher Mike Storter shared his story. Since being diagnosed 18 months ago with AML Leukemia, he has undergone a chemo, radiation, a bone marrow transplant, and of course, hair loss. He has just been re-diagnosed so will undergo another round of treatments. Yet, through it all, Storter’s faith, his sense of humor, and his level of compassion have increased. His battle now is all about helping others to walk through it and he encouraged
attendees by highlighting the amazing treatment advances. He believes “caregivers have the most difficult role” and ended by posing this question: “Which dollar will be the one that funds the cure? Will yours be the one? Will you form a team, hold a fundraiser, become a sponsor? Will you walk the track, light a luminaria, hold someone’s hand whose battling the beast now? As Dana Carpenter so aptly put it by quoting Lance Armstrong, “Be about the fight …” , and by quoting her cheerleading Megan, “God gives us what we can handle. We can do this. Together! Let’s Fight! Beat Cancer! To claim your theme city and begin your fight, visit www.relayforlife.org/plantcityfl or call Cathy Vallianatos at 813-685-0670 (x 5457). Be sure also to attend the upcoming meetings at PCHS mentioned above. Our whole community is in this thing. Please, please – do your part.
foCUS Magazine Plant City november 2010
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