Fighting for life

ain crashed, lightening flashed and thunder boomed, but not even the loudest of thunderstorms could extinguish the flame of hope in the heart of Superior's Relay for Life Teams Friday night.

“I think we had an awesome relay despite the rain,” said event emcee Ernie Ornelas.

This year, seven teams gathered at the Superior High School Track to raise money for the American Cancer Society and have a little fun while they were at it.

The Quilt Guild Running Stiches, WIT Rugrats, Rocky's Rugrats, 4 Leaf Clovers, Clark Fork Chronicle Team, Make it Happen and Hope To It Teams all raised money throughout the months leading up to the event and continued to donate their time and cash throughout the evening to help combat cancer.

All told, the group raised $18,293.45 through corporate and private donations, a silent auction and the Relay Store.

Event-goers could buy all sorts of Relay for Life memorabilia and T-shirts at the Relay Store, which raised $224 on its own. The relay teams raised $9,649.95 total for the cause. Each team member was encouraged to raise at least $100 and many brought in more than the minimum required.

Michelle Parkin, captain of the WIT Rugrats and accountant for the evening, said that despite this year's lowered numbers and the hard economic times for the community, the relay only made $200 less than last year's events.

“It's amazing to me that even with this few number of teams and people that we can still do this well,” said Parkin.

The top two earning teams where WIT Rugrats with $2,144 and the Quilt Guild Running Stitches with $2,037.45.

Parkin said that, while they were proud of the top two earning teams, many teams were undermanned. The Clark Fork Chronicle only had two team members, and they did the best they could to bring in money.

Through corporate donors the relay brought in $6,500. This number does not include all of the “in kind” donations like food and water that Parkin says amount to another $4,400 in donations.

“It's incredible the way they come through for us every year,” said Parkin about their corporate sponsors.

The event started at 5 p.m. when there was a reception held for all of the cancer survivors that were participating.

After the reception there were a few words from Van Wolverton, a cancer survivor, and more words from Ornelas.

Wolverton recounted his battle with cancer and how the helpful words of others kept him hopeful throughout his ordeal.

“We who have survived were given a responsibility,” Wolverton said.

He said that after his recovery he was referred to other cancer victims as a resource so they could know what to expect throughout their different kinds of treatments and know that cancer is not the end.

“Cancer is not a death sentence,” Wolverton said.

And he is right.

According to Ornelas, in the 1940s, only one fourth of the people diagnosed with cancer survived. By the 1960s, one third of those diagnosed survived and by the 1990's that number was up to half.

Ornelas said that, thanks to events like Relay for Life and organizations like ACS, today the survival rate for those with cancer is 68 percent for men and 63 percent for women.

After the opening ceremony, everyone stepped outside for the national anthem and the first lap which was taken by all of the cancer survivors.

Throughout the evening, the teams kept at least one member on the track walking in memory of those with cancer.

Those that were not walking kept themselves entertained with scavenger hunts, karaoke and face painting.

By 10 p.m., all of the luminaries that were purchased were lined around the football field creating a glowing circle in memory of those that have lost their lives to cancer.

There was then a ceremony where all of the names written on the luminaries were read aloud and those that wanted too took a lap around the track in memory of their loved ones.

Later that evening, a loud thunderstorm struck. The teams retreated into the Superior High School multi-purpose room to play games and continue their event.

“We had lots of good local folks helping us out this year,” said Parkin.