Fighting For A Cure

Lori Milligan (purple t-shirt) enjoys the support of her family and friends on Saturday during Relay for Life

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Awnings were set, the grills were in place. If one didn’t know better, you might think it was all the preparation needed to have a relaxing evening in the back yard with friends.

That would be mostly right, except for the part of being in one’s back yard. Instead residents laced up their walking shoes, found a good friend or met a new one, and took off to walk laps around the square in downtown Oskaloosa to help raise money to find a cure for cancer.

Stacy Raimy, the 2012 Event Chair for the Mahaska County Relay for Life welcomed all of the teams and survivors. “Look around you. We are all here for the same reason, to make a difference and put an end to cancer. Relay for Life is an event which is meant to symbolize every patient’s journey through cancer. In the light and darkness of the day and night a parallel physical effects, emotions, the mental state of a cancer patient while undergoing treatment. We now gather as a community, determined that those who are facing cancer will be supported, that those who have lost their battle will not be forgotten and that together we will continue to fight so that one day no one will have to hear those dreadful words ‘you have cancer’.”

All along, teams have gone out into the community to raise money for Relay for Life, by holding a dunk tank, or a garage sale and/or bake sales. A group from Mahaska Health Partnership, one warm afternoon, raised $700.00. Meanwhile, “Team Tracy” raised an amazing $550.00 from a garage sale.

“Team Tracy” captain Amanda Russell said at an earlier interview about her involvement, “We created this team to support Tracy Johnson in her fight with brain cancer… Tracy is a very important person to the lives of everyone on the team. She is like a second mom to me. I have known her since I was 3.”

The Oskaloosa Student Council Relay for Life committee had organized a silent auction Saturday, April 14th at the Oskaloosa Relays.

Many people were working and walking for the common goal, and even as the day wore on the walkers continued and the bands played on to help entertain those walking, supporting or just enjoying the afternoon and evening.

The ‘survivors walk’ highlighted that there is hope for those fighting the disease. The sea of purple shirts made the walk from their dinner together to the bandstand on the square for some words from fellow survivors.

Rich Van Weelden spoke about his experience beating cancer and being visited by 3 doctors one day during his treatment. “One of them looked at me, the young guy who had done the surgery, and the older doctor there said ‘Rich, we just do not understand you that your in this good of shape’,” and was able to leave the hospital so quickly after the procedures. “I’m here today, happy to say I’m free of cancer.”

As evening wore on, hula hoops and frozen wet t-shirts helped to bring smiles and laughter from the gathered crowd.