| By Bob Weaver
Wandering around the Glenville State College athletic field Friday night and mingling
with people whose lives have been tainted by cancer, reminded me of family members
and co-workers whose lives were drained by this terrible disease. It was a day by
day and hour by hour suffering, not only for the victim, but those who helplessly
watch.
Faye Fitzwater shares her survival story
Cancer survivors walk the track, celebrate their lives
"Bosom Buddies" (L to R) Donna Brannon, Izetta Brannon, Vivian Dye, Carol Dye, Millie
Arnold, Kim Batten, Phyllis Evans, Deb Goff, Betty Ritchie and Becky
Miller. Team members not pictured, Sandra Bugby, Patty Haught, Dotti Nemitz, Cindy Simers, Jean Simers, Kelli
Whytsell, Joyce Williams, and Jo Lynn Wilson.
The "Bosom Buddies" team's co-captains were Phyllis Evans and Jean Simers, the team raised over $3000. Four team members are breast cancer survivors. The team won the BEST CAMP SITE theme "A Cure or Bust" being their theme.
Comedian Red Foxx once quipped "It would be a terrible thing to go to the hospital
and die from nothing." It would be a wonderful thing, however, to go to the hospital
and not die from cancer.
It is was an emotional experience to attach faces to people who were cancer
survivors, many of them neighbors, as they walked around the track on the hot
summer evening.
It was even more of an emotional experience to listen to the words of two-time
cancer survivor Faye Fitzwater ring across the stadium as she shared her experience,
strength and hope with the hundreds of Relay for Life team members and
participants.
Then there was the lighting of hundreds of memorial candles placed around the track
in memory of those taken by the disease, their names called out, one by one.
Stadium lights go off and "Candles of Remembrance" are lit
Calhoun girls Shannon Jones and Holly Burch sing "One Day at a Time"
Awesome Duo: Curtis Garretson and Carlene Frederick
A large number of Calhoun residents participated in the two-county event, which was
centered on the all-night walk-a-thon. Rich Welch, co-chair for the event, said Calhoun
teams raised over $12,000 for the American Cancer Society.
It was also a joyous event, music, dancing, visiting and lots of food.
A great time for "The Sharks" (L to R) Samantha Bailey, Alisha Richards, Shannon
Jones and Susann Lynch
"Leona's Angels" - Front (L to R) Debbie Massey, Peggy Stemple, Vickie Rempel and
Theda Deuley - Rear (L to R) Scott Massey, Marvin Stemple, Gerald Deuley and Ruth
Knopp
MORE: See Relay for Life - 2001 Scrapbook
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