CNA-SS-6-14-2016

2016 American Cancer Society

Relay for Life of Southwest Iowa Friday, June 17 6:00 p.m. - Midnight Creston Panther High School Track HONORARY SURVIVORS THIS YEAR ARE BRENDA GOODVIN AND JOE OWENS

‘In God’s hands’

Creston man battles three major cancer surgeries and is currently cancer free.

■

CNA photo by JOEL LAMB

Breast cancer survivor Debra Goodvin, right, takes a moment to relax with her husband of 19 years, Gaylen, and their dogs at the family’s home in Lenox.

‘Be kind to yourself’ Brenda Goodvin of Lenox recounts her victory over breast cancer.

■

By JOEL LAMB

CNA staff reporter jlamb@crestonnews.com

“Take care of yourself.

Use all the support you can. Don’t turn down a hug, and be kind to your-

self because what you’re going through is the hardest thing you’ll ever have to go through.”

These are words of wisdom offered by breast cancer survivor Brenda Goodvin of Lenox to those who also find themselves

locked in a battle with cancer, the second leading cause of death in the U.S. It was March 2011 when Goodvin received the diagnosis that would forever change her life.

“I had breast cancer,” said Goodvin, one of two honorary survivors at GOODVIN | 2c

By BAILEY POOLMAN CNA staff reporter bpoolman@crestonnews.com

For Joe Owens, his entire life is in God’s hands, including several bouts of cancer he’s had since 2008 and his current cancer-free status.

Joe, 65, a retired railroad division trainmaster, went through three major surgeries in eight years with his family, friends and God by his side. Joe is one of two OWENS | 4c

Page 2c— Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016

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BRENDA GOODVIN

Relay for Life honorary survivor

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BRENDA GOODVIN

Relay for Life honorary survivor

Goodvin felt fortunate that all of her testing and treatments were able to be performed in Creston, saving her the additional worry of commuting to a larger city during her illness.

“I had friends who had to go all the way to Omaha or Des Moines,” she said.

Contributed photo “The treatments are only Brenda Goodvin, right, walks during last year’s Relay for Life event at the Creston High 10 to 15 minutes and it was School track. Goodvin is one of two honorary survivors at this year’s event on Friday. an everyday thing.”

To this day, Goodvin sings the praises of those who diagnosed, treated and supported her at GRMC, despite the pain of the experience.

“I had a lot of trust in my doctors,” she said. “Creston’s cancer center has the best people ever. I call them my angels, the radiation team.”

Incredibly, Goodvin continued to report to work at Michael Foods in Lenox during her treatment, working from 6 a.m. right up until her afternoon treatments.

“Work gave me something to focus on, and I had a great support system there,” she said. “I had co-workers who were willing to shave their heads before I even knew if I had to have chemo or not.

They did fundraisers, and when I was recuperating,

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“IT WAS pretty scary, just because it was the ‘cancer’ word.”

“I HAD a lot of trust in my doctors.

Creston’s cancer center has the best people ever. I call them my angels, the radiation team.”

HOPE

Friday’s Relay For Life in Creston. “It was pretty scary, just because it was the ‘cancer’ word. I had two uncles, one who had bone cancer and one with pancreatic cancer, who passed away before I was diagnosed so I had them in my mind when I got the news.”

After a yearly physical, Goodvin’s doctor suggested she have a mammogram performed as a standard precaution.

“I didn’t feel sick but, because of my age, my doctor told me I should be getting regular mammograms,” Goodvin said. “I kept putting it off but my husband, Gaylen, who knows me well, called and set it up for me. So, thank goodness for him.”

After her initial mammogram, Goodvin’s doctors requested she return the next day for additional tests.

“They (doctors) called later and told me, ‘We see something that concerns us,’ but wouldn’t tell me what it was,” Goodvin said.

“I was still at work and had to go all day wondering what it was. I just kind of kept it to myself because there was no point in alarming anyone.”

After returning to the hospital the next day, Goodvin learned a cluster of abnormal cells had been

found in her breast tissue.

This preliminary discovery led to more definitive testing and yet another visit to the hospital.

“I went back in and had to do a needle biopsy and that’s when it was determined I had cancer for sure,” Goodvin said. “After that, I had surgery to remove the cancer and had to do some more tests to determine if I needed chemo.”

Eventually, it was ruled the cancer was possibly caused by a prescription birth control medication Goodvin was given to balance her body’s hormones.

“They (doctors) couldn’t guarantee that’s where it (cancer) came from, but I didn’t have it before and I haven’t had it since I stopped taking it (birth control),” Goodvin said.

“The idea that I had followed my doctor’s instructions on using a product and they think that’s what gave me cancer scared me for quite a while,” she added.

Treatment of Goodvin’s cancer was swift, but did not require traditional chemotherapy. Immediately, she began taking Tamoxifen, a drug that can block the growth of breast cancer tissue. She also prepared herself mentally to begin radiation treatments at Greater Regional Medical Center (GRMC) in Creston. Altogether, Goodvin faced 38 rounds of extremely painful radiation.

“By the end of the radiation, my skin was as dark as your (black) shirt,” she said. “It burned me. Radiation is like being out in the sun all day, and it’s just draining. That’s every day.”

FIGHT

CONT. FROM | 1c

courage LIVE

GOODVIN:

Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016 — Page 3c

Schedule of Events

2:30

4:30-5:30

5:00-?

6:00

6:00

6:50-7:00

7:00

7:00-?

7:30-8:00

8:00-8:30

8:30-9:00

9:00-9:20 10:00-10:30 11:00-11:45

12:00am

Team campsite set-up begins Survivor Registration* Cancer Sucks Car Show Dinner available – provided by Hy-Vee, Corning Meat Processing Services, Pizza Hut, Pizza Ranch, Casey’s, & Wal-Mart – free will donation Opening Prayer – Pastor Chuck Spindler National Anthem – Olivia Hartman Flag Raising – Boy Scouts Welcome by Event Co-Chairs Chantel Klejch, Megan Hower & and Honorary Emcee Mindy Stalker Honorary Survivor Recognitions – Brenda Goodvin & Joe Owens Survivor Lap Survivor & Caregivers Lap All teams join Survivors & Caregivers Sponsorship Recognitions Honorary Survivor’s Favorite Pick Car Show Announcement Henry’s Martial Arts by Josh Henry Spotlight Dance Team Recognitions Games/Poker Walk/Run Sponsorship Recognitions Luminaria Ceremony** Zumba provided by Jennifer Frakes Closing Ceremony

D.J. services provided throughout the evening by Sound Explosion – Randy & Holly Cooper *SURVIVORS: Following registration please proceed to the designated Survivor & Caregivers area located at the tent on the west side of the track; seating, cookies and refreshments available. Designated area available for the duration of the Relay. Survivor registration available after 5:30. **Luminarias available prior to the Relay at the following locations: First National Bank in Creston & Afton, Creston News Advertiser, PCSB, Stalker Chevrolet, Iowa State Savings Bank & Okey Vernon in Corning. Luminarias also available for purchase until 8:00pm the night of Relay. Free will donation per Luminaria. ***Schedule of Events subject to change. Schedule is an overview, other activities will be incorporated as time allows.

Page 4c— Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016

CONT. FROM | 1c

honorary survivors for the Relay for Life of Southwest Iowa Friday at the Creston High School track.

2008 In 2007, Joe, who lives in Creston, had basal cell skin cancer removed from his right shoulder, and a year later a sore popped up in the middle of the scar. “I went to my dermatologist and he said, ‘Well, we’ll nip it out and biopsy it,’�

Joe said.

Joe’s dermatologist, located in Des Moines, called him while he and and his wife, Gay Lynn, were traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, to a family wedding in July and said, “Be in my office Monday.� That following Monday, Joe learned the

“LITTLE did I know that melanoma is like an iceberg; you got a little spot of it up here, and you got a whole bunch of it down there.�

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JOE OWENS

Relay for Life honorary survivor

had metastasized into her bones, and his sister died at age 62 from melanoma, as well. “It’s a tough thing.

You’re facing your spouse’s mortality, and the thing that got us through was that God was in control,� Gay Lynn said. “I wasn’t too thrilled about the waves that my boat was going through, but God was in control.�

2011 For 2.5 years after that initial major surgery, Joe underwent alternating computerized axial tomography (CAT) and positron emis- Owens sion tomography (PET) scans every three months. During a routine exam in March 2011, Joe’s oncologist found something. “My oncologist thought the one lymph node seemed a little large, so he went

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his wife for a second time in three years. “The same surgeon took out all the lymph nodes in the right side, but what the blessing was was that central lymph node had (melanoma) cancer in it,�

Joe said. “The rest of them were clean.�

After the removal of the nodes, Joe was warned about not doing certain physical activity because of the possibility of developing lymphedema, or localized fluid retention, but he has not had an issue. “I’ve been so blessed,�

Joe said. “I mean, I put up hay, I shoe my own horses and I’ve never had any effect of the lymphedema or anything.�

“THERE weren’t options. I think that was the hardest, knowing there weren’t any options at all.�

Joe Owens’ wife

upper lobe of Joe’s liver.

He said not to worry, but Joe’s local physician suggested to have his next scan in Des Moines. That radiologist insisted on biopsying the portion of liver, and it came back positive for cancer.

That same month, Joe 2013 and Gay Lynn were in the But, two years later, it hospital room for a third time, but this time they had came back.

After a routine CAT scan company. in June 2013, the radioloOWENS | 5c gist noticed a growth in the

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GAY LYNN OWENS

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ahead and biopsied it,� Joe said.

Lymph nodes are part of the lymphatic system, a system that runs throughout the entire body and carries lymph fluid from the body to the heart. From there, lymph mixes in with the blood. This fluid, especially coming from lymph nodes, can be rich in specific types of disease-fighting white blood cells.

The couple went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, for a second opinion of Joe’s second bout of cancer. Surgery is the only option for Joe’s type of melanoma. “They said, ‘You know what?

Chemo(therapy) doesn’t work on that. Radiation doesn’t work on that,’� Gay Lynn said. “There weren’t options. I think that was the hardest, knowing there weren’t any options at all.�

Joe was put on Leukin, an immune system-boosting drug usually given to leukemia patients.

By the end of March, Joe was in a hospital room with

Let your LIGHT shine!

OWENS:

sore was melanoma. “I wasn’t real worried about it because I had the stigma in my mind that it was just skin cancer,� Joe said. “However, little did I know that melanoma is like an iceberg: you got a little spot of it up here, and you got a whole bunch of it down there.�

Joe went in for surgery at the end of July, and the surgeon at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines removed part of the deltoid muscle, five lymph nodes and scraped bone from a 4-by-6-inch diamond section on the shoulder.

After surgery, Joe researched melanoma and discussed the disease with oncologists.

Melanoma is a type of malignant skin cancer caused by melanocytes, which are the skin cells that contain pigments that color the skin. It is usually caused by exposure to ultraviolet light and, if it’s serious enough, can spread into the lymphatic and digestive systems or eyes.

For Joe, his risk was twofold. As a child, he would play outside without a shirt regularly, his skin burning from the sun on warm days.

He was also at a hereditary risk. Joe’s mother died at age 57 from melanoma that

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Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016 — Page 5c

CONT. FROM | 2c

they would come and visit me with moral support. My boss was great because I like to push myself, sometimes too much. But, he could tell when it was time for me to just go back home or get some rest.”

By her own admission, Goodvin has never been one to push her hardships onto the shoulders of others, especially her loved ones.

“I’m not one to put it all on my family,” she said. “I just kind of kept positive.

My family was supportive, but I guess I tried to just keep going. I had my family to take care of, and I would rather care for them than have them take care of me. I tried to be the strong one.”

Despite this inner-strength and determination, Goodvin has never discounted the value of her loved ones’ support during her struggle with cancer.

“I can’t imagine battling

something like that on my own, and I’m sure there are people who have to face it all alone,” she said. “I had a great support system in my family.”

Brenda was declared cancer-free not long after the culmination of her radiation treatment sessions.

“When I did my first Relay For Life, I had just had my last treatment the day before,” she said. “My co-workers and my family and friends were there, and it was pretty emotional.”

Goodvin has participated in Relay For Life every year since her own struggle with cancer and will be recognized as one of two honorary survivors at this year’s Creston event on Friday.

“It’s a great event,” Goodvin said. “There are people who’ve just been diagnosed and you can show them the survivors who are 10, 15, even 20-plus years cancer-free and tell them that those people beat it.”

Creston baseball team volunteers with Relay for Life

By SCOTT VICKER

CNA managing editor svicker@crestonnews.com

For the eighth consecutive year, Steve Birchard’s Creston baseball team will volunteer its time to help prepare for Friday’s Relay for Life event.

Each year, the Panther baseball team has helped Relay for Life organizers fill the luminaria bags and place them around the Creston High School track.

“I just think it’s a good thing, first of all helping these people out. There’s a lot of work to be done. It takes a lot of manpower,” Birchard said. “Then, for them, when we started doing it

and we still do have kids who have been affected by cancer.

Maybe they’ve lost somebody due to cancer. It’s pretty personal for some of the kids. I think it’s a good experience for them to realize they could do a little something and it doesn’t take money or too much effort to contribute to a cause like that.”

Birchard said it also serves as a reminder to his players there’s more to life than just baseball.

“This is also a reminder that we’re all mortal and we’re going to someday check out of here and (to) live (life) to its fullest,” Birchard said.”

OWENS: CONT. FROM | 4c

“Our pastor was there, and a bunch of our friends and church family were there. I was prayed up going into the operating room,” Joe said. “The greatest thing that does for you is it gives you peace. I had no fear.”

“It was a huge blessing. Actually, I was more calm,” Gay Lynn said. “I wasn’t as calm when they took the lymphatic system out, ... but when it came to the liver cancer, I became more trusting. Even though they gave us the prognosis, I just knew it was going to be OK.” Joe, who had a 7 percent chance of surviving the surgery, said he put the situation in God’s hands be-

cause “He knows how long I’m going to be here, and I don’t know how people can cope without it.”

“When you’re going through cancer, you need to know God is still in control, even though you’re in the waves of life,” Gay Lynn said. “And, finally, when you give that control up to God after you’ve had all that anxiety, you have this peace that passes all understanding.”

Joe jumped up on the operating table, which had the nurses laughing, and endured a successful liver resection surgery.

“The peace that you have is what’s paramount,” Joe said. “The thing that struck me the most in the hospital at that time was the other patients, and they were all cancer patients on that floor. You would see people with just terror in their eyes and they felt lost. They were alone. They didn’t know what to do, and it just broke my heart.”

Since then, Joe underwent two minor surgeries for melanoma on his neck.

He is now a proponent of regular doctor’s visits to prevent cancer.

“I WAS prayed up going into the operating room. The greatest thing that does for you is it gives you peace. I had no fear.”

Cancer support

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JOE OWENS

Relay for Life honorary survivor

ministry After the third major

When you take part in Relay for Life... you help save lives!

melanoma surgery, Joe and Gay Lynn, who have a son and daughter of Nebraska and a second daughter of Texas, decided to start a cancer support ministry through their church, Crest Baptist Church.

“I knew I wanted to do something, but I didn’t know how to go about it,” Joe said. “Our pastor gave us some information.”

They attended training in June 2015 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, through Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and the faith-based support group was born. Since its official inception in 2015, the group has grown to support 19 families, including physicians and cancer patients, and have 14 team members.

Outside of holidays, the group meets 6 p.m. every Sunday at the fellowship hall at Crest Baptist Church. The group is open to anyone who wants to attend.

“What people don’t understand is, this year, there will be over 1.7 million new cases of cancer — new ones. And, in Iowa alone,

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GAY LYNN OWENS Joe Owens’ wife

as of the first of April, there were over 17,000 new cases of cancer,” Joe said. “Cancer doesn’t care who you are. ... That’s why it’s so important to be square with God. He knows when.”

In the end, it was about doing something with his time left on Earth, and he feels he has.

“Nobody wants to be alone, and anytime you make somebody smile or laugh, you’ve taken away a huge burden,” Joe said.

“It’s not so much of what you do. It’s the fact that you do something.”

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Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016 — Page 7c

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Page 8c— Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Diagnosis: cancer

By Ruth Long Creston

The frosty autumn leaves sparkled under the brilliant early October sun.

My husband and I sat at the breakfast table over a second cup of coffee as he asked, “Are you sure you don’t want me to go to the doctor with you for your checkup this morning?�

I thought of the fields of soybeans that had already lost their leaves and the corn hanging heavy on the stalks awaiting the arrival of the combines to com-

plete the harvest before the winter snows came. “No,� I replied. “The doctor will just say she wants to schedule some more tests in a few weeks because of some suspicious symptoms.

You have so much work to get the crops harvested. I might need you at a later appointment.�

Soon, I was lying on the hard table as the doctor examined me while we visited.

Suddenly her hand froze as she felt the large lump in my right breast. Her whole demeanor became tense. “I’m very concerned

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about this,� she confided quietly. “Concerned?� The brash question escaped my throat sounding like a tiny squeak. “I think it’s cancer!�

When spoken by a doctor, the word made an indelible mark on my heart.

I detected a serious tone of deep compassion in her voice as the doctor softly uttered that loathed word.

It bounced loudly around the dark recesses of my mind as I tried to grasp the gravity of the situation while attempting to control my feelings of shock, fear,

panic and denial. “No! No! No!� I screamed silently as no sound came from my lips.

I had been living in the sweet state of denial for many months. Sure there was a lump in my breast, but it could not be cancer— not in my body. Recently another lump had appeared under my arm, but I had gained some weight.

That was just a glob of fat – wasn’t it?

I stared at the ceiling where there was a lighted tile of blue sky above flowering branches. I felt as though I were lying in a pasture on a clear summer day. I slipped back into the sweet state of denial as I lazily wondered how much the pilot would see of me in my flimsy gown if a plane flew over.

Then I became aware that the doctor was talking to me. She was saying something about a mammogram and other tests she wanted done. Now I was wishing my husband were there, holding my hand and helping with decisions. I agreed to allow the tests to be scheduled. Now I would have to make time in my busy schedule as a self-employed CPA to come back to the hospital another time, I thought. Instead the

nurse hooked me up for an EKG on the spot while the doctor left the room.

She soon returned ordering, “You are to go to radiology as soon as we are done here. They are waiting for you.�

After the mammogram the radiologist wanted to do an ultrasound on the left breast so as not to miss

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anything while they concentrated on the right side.

Although it was against the rules for her to do so, I convinced the technician to let me see an image of the lump under my arm. To me it looked like a mouse with tiny twigs growing in every direction. (Is that why a

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How funds are raised for Relay for Life The American Cancer Society encourages Relay For Life participants to raise at least $100. Teams are encouraged to have at least 10 individuals on each team and urged to set individual and team goals.

Relayers who raise at least $100 receive a commemorative Relay For Life T-shirt.

For many, the T-shirt is a badge of honor representing the miles walked at Relay For Life, the person they are walking for or their deep commitment to the fight against cancer.

Creativity is key as teams try to raise money before arriving at a Relay For Life event. In addition to asking people for pledges, teams also hold bake sales, car washes, dinners, sporting

events, art sales, clothing drives, or whatever inspires them. The true beauty of Relay is how each event is shaped and made successful by community members

LONG:

Before doing the biopsy, the surgeon indicated the probability of cancer was about 90 percent. Since that meant there was a 10 percent chance it was not cancer, I was ecstatic.

Because the cancer had also spread not only to my lymph nodes, but also to several bones, the whole diagnosis is that I am living with stage IV metastatic breast cancer.

I am learning to move out of the sweet state of denial into the sweet state of trust – trust in God’s word. I no

CONT. FROM | 8c

CAT scan was ordered a few days later?)

But I was still very certain they were wrong – surely this was just a cyst gone wild. So I began to ask everyone what the chances were a mistake was made.

The doctor replied that the chance was low, very low.

The radiologist responded that the odds were slim to none that it was not cancer.

Where does the money go?

Each $100 raised through Relay For Life allows the American Cancer Society to: • Fund ground-breaking research. American Cancer Society-funded researchers have contributed to nearly every major cancer research breakthrough since the Society’s research program began. They’ve helped establish the link between cancer and smoking, demonstrated the effectiveness of the Pap test, developed cancer-fighting drugs, dra-

matically increased the cure rate for childhood leukemia and proven mammography to be the best tool to find breast cancer early. If you know a woman who has had a mammogram, you know someone who has benefitted from American Cancer Society-funded research. • Help pay for lodging at an American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. There are two Hope Lodges in Minnesota; one in Minneapolis and one in Rochester. Last year more than 50,000 patients and caregivers nationwide stayed at a Hope Lodge at no charge while receiving cancer treatment, saving an estimated $23 million in hotel expenses. • Help cancer patients get to treatment and back home longer need denial for protection. Now I lean on the assurance that the prayers of the righteous avail much and on the promise that God will never leave me. I know that God has a plan for my life – a plan for good and not evil. I rejoice as each day I experience the reality of God’s providence in my life.

CNA file photoÂ

Gary and Sherri Boschee of Lenox hold hands while walking together during the survivor/caregiver lap at the June 2014 Southwest Iowa Relay for Life at Creston High School track. Gary is a survivor of lymphoma cancer, and Sherri was by his side for the entire battle.

again through the Road to Recovery program. The American Cancer Society helped more than 50,000 patients get to and from treatment last year. • Support Reach to Recovery volunteers as they visit with newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, who seek help and guidance during their various stages of cancer. • Help guide patients, their caregivers and families through their can-

cer-journey through the Patient Navigator Program. • Cover the cost of providing information to those facing cancer. Every day more than 3,000 people call the American Cancer Society for help and information.

1-800-227-2345 connects callers with Cancer Informa-

tion Specialists 24-hours a day, every day of the week.

Help is available in more than 170 languages. Through www.cancer. org, the American Cancer Society provides cancer information and localized resources to 25 million visitors every year.

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Page 10c— Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016

What is Relay For Life?

History of Relay For Life One person can make a difference. Nowhere is that more evident than with the story of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, which began in Tacoma, Washington, as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.

In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office.

He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed—running marathons.

In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles.

Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him.

He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt’s friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course.

While he circled the track those 24 hours, he thought about how others could take part. He envisioned a 24hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer.

Months later he pulled together a small committee

to plan the first team relay event known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.

In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event on the track at the colorful, historical Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000.

An indescribable spirit prevailed at the track and in the tents that dotted the infield.

What is Relay For Life today?

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path.

Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event.

Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

What happens at Relay For Life events?

Although every Relay For Life is different, there are certain traditions at all Relays, no matter where they are held. These traditions help participants celebrate,

CNA file photo

This luminary was purchased in 2014 by the Oetken family of Creston in memory of Max “Pogo” Hamner who lost his fight with lung cancer in 1990. Hamner – stepfather to Bill Oetken – once owned Hamner Standard located where Pokorny BP does business today. Including this one for Hamner, there were more than 1,800 luminaries sold and placed around the track during the June 2014 Southwest Iowa Relay for Life.

remember, and fight back.

Celebrate – the Survivors Lap Relay starts with a Survivors Lap – an inspirational time when survivors are invited to circle the track together and help everyone

We also recognize and cel- For Life. These individuals celebrate the victories we’ve ebrate caregivers at Relay achieved over cancer.

HISTORY | 11c The Survivors Lap is an emotional example of how Relay participants are ensuring that more lives are saved each year – like those of each individual on the track.

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Creston News Advertiser — Tuesday, June 14, 2016 — Page 11c

HISTORY: CONT. FROM | 10c

fight back are themes that link all Relays events together, but you can learn more about national event standards and recommendations and more about how to structure your Relay’s planning committee using a suggested three-tier approach by connecting to the documents below.

give their time, love, and support to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers who face cancer.

At Relay, people understand the frustrations and joys of bePhilosophy of Relay ing a caregiver, since the effects The American Cancer Sociof cancer reach far beyond just ety Relay For Life represents the person diagnosed. hope that those lost to Luminaria Ceremony the cancer will never be forgotten, After dark, we honor people that those who face cancer will who have been touched by can- be supported, and that one day cer and remember loved ones cancer will be eliminated. lost to the disease during the Relay For Life is more Luminaria Ceremony. Candles than just a fundraiser. It’s a are lit inside bags filled with life-changing experience. At sand, each one bearing the Relay, every person in the name of a person touched by community has a chance to cancer, and participants often celebrate, remember, and fight back. And every person walk a lap in silence.

As people take time to who participates joins others remember, those who have around the globe as part of this walked alongside others bat- worldwide movement to end tling cancer can grieve and find cancer.

Everyone’s reason to Rehealing. This is a time that truly lay is as unique as their own highlights the importance of personal story. At Relay, you defeating this disease.

Fight Back Ceremony can find healing, comfort, and support from others who have Last, there is a Fight Back faced cancer or who have lost a Ceremony, where we make a loved one to the disease. personal commitment to save lives by taking up the fight against cancer.

That personal commitment may be to do something as simple as getting a screening test, quitting smoking, or talking to elected officials about cancer.

By taking action, people are personally taking steps to save lives and fight back against a disease that takes too much.

Celebrate, remember, and

You have a chance to meet people in the community who are equally as passionate about finding an end to cancer in our lifetime. You can thank all the people who have done so much to support you through your personal cancer experience. And you can gather together with friends, family, and colleagues to laugh, cry, and create lasting memories.

No matter why you take part in Relay, however, one thing is clear: with every step you take, you are helping the American Cancer Society save lives. With your help, we aren’t just fighting one type of cancer – we’re fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. Each person who shares the Relay experience can take pride in knowing that they are working to create a world where this disease will no longer threaten the lives of our loved ones or claim another year of anyone’s life.

A presence in communities Relay For Life is conducted not simply to raise funds, but to involve new communities, give the Society a local presence,

MEMORY • SUPPORT • HONOR Remember those who have lost their battle Support those battling cancer Honor those cancer survivors.

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and provide communities the opportunity to own the mission.

Because Relay provides grassroots access to the population, it is a critical means of achieving the Society’s 2015 goals.

community qualifies as a Relay site. For example, Relays are even happening on college and corporate campuses, on military bases, and in cyberspace.

Survivorship

Volunteer-driven

Around the globe

A community event

As a community event, Relay fulfills a need for belonging that we all have. It also creates a sense of community by bringing people together in a moving and fun atmosphere, with sufficient time for cultivating relationships. The event is volunteer-driven, with Society staff coaching the volunteers.

There is a true partnership between volunteers and staff.

Relay For Life is a community event. Event sites should be selected based on how communities identify themselves.

A town or small city may see itself as one community. Larger cities are usually made up of several different communities and neighborhoods. If people identify themselves as being part of a given community, the

Cancer is indiscriminate and knows no boundaries.As voluntary organizations in the United States must serve an increasingly diverse population and customer base, the way in which the American Cancer Society does business will need to shift.

Our ability to communicate appropriately and utilize part-

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is an international movement to end cancer. Since 1996, the Society has partnered with multiple cancer organizations in countries outside the United States to license and support Relay For Life programs. Through Relay, these organizations bring together passionate volunteers, promote their mission-based activities, and mobilize community members to take action in the fight against cancer.

Relay has proven especially important to countries at the beginning stages of educating both the public and health care communities about this deadly and often preventable disease.

International Relay For Life events are now held in communities spanning 18 countries outside of the United States.

Relay is a moving celebration of cancer survivorship.

The event begins with a Survivors Lap in which cancer survivors take a victory lap around the track. A candlelight ceremony is held later in the evening to honor cancer survivors and remember those who we’ve lost to this disease.

Unification

ners in our efforts will facilitate our growth in reaching diverse communities and ultimately in reaching the 2015 goals of the Society. Inclusion is imperative.

Support Relay for Life and those who have been touched by cancer CELEBRATE, REMEMBER,

FIGHT BACK. Vince Taylor, Agent 641-344-5820

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Committee Members Chantel Klejch – Co-Chair Megan Hower – Co-Chair Amy Kerr Ashton Behlers Jenna Greene Jenny Rouh Jill Sjulin Kaytee Scadden Lindsay Street Lisa Hoyle Pam Haley Sarah Jannings Sarah Young Shannel Troutwine Sky Hoffman Teresa Pendegraft Wilma Osmun