They came to remember the lives of the people they once knew that have been lost to cancer. They came to support those who had and who are battling cancer. Most of all, they came with the hope that some day soon cancer will be something of the past. That is exactly what more than 100 people did Friday, June 11, at the Kimball Area High School for the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life. Celebrated nationwide, Relay for Life is an overnight event designed to raise funds for research and programs that may eventually find a cure for cancer. A total of 10 teams participated this year and took turns walking laps throughout the duration of the event with at least one team member on the track at all times. The money raised this year reached $58,312. Because of the unpredictable, rainy weather, this year’s relay was again forced indoors. “We are so happy so many people came even though the weather is such,” said Chris Jeppesen, co-chairperson of the event. Fellow co-chairperson Deb Reinert felt that this year’s turnout, because of the rain, wasn’t as good as previous years, but the important thing is that people still made an effort to show up. “This event is to let them (cancer patients) know that they are not alone,” Reinert said. Reinert herself survived breast cancer three years ago and has since participated in the event every year. She knows first-hand what cancer patients go through and tries to lend her support to them. “Support is the biggest thing here,” added Jeppeson, whose life has also been affected by the disease. She lost both her husband and father to cancer years ago and was with Reinert, her best friend, all the way during her struggle with cancer. “When you see your friend losing their hair and always throwing up, you can’t help but feel a part of it,” Reinert added. Some who attended shared their personal experiences with cancer. Guest speaker Connie Powell spoke at great length of how her 4-year-old daughter Madeline was born with cancer and the symptoms began to show seven days after she was born. Madeline would throw up five times a day and would resist any form of movement. At that time ,though, neither Powell nor any of her daughter’s doctors had any idea that Madeline had cancer. It was only in May 2000 that they found it out. “I thought I didn’t hear him (the doctor) correctly, but I knew I did,” Powell said. Madeline was diagnosed with neuroblastosarcoma, a cancer of the nervous system. Fortunately, Madeline’s tumor was removed, she underwent chemotherapy and diagnosed cancer-free four months later. Today, she is a healthy 4-year-old. “She is a survivor of cancer and it is painful to think of the days when she was sick,” Powell said. “I truly feel blessed, and we hope and pray for a cure.”
