Cancer Network of Sanders County holds first luminaria
Cancer Network of Sanders County members, from left, are Tom Wachob, TerryAnne Buchanan, Cathy Miller, Sherryl Wachob, Colleen LaPointe and Joyce Dougan. They worked to put on the group’s first luminaria display last weekend in Plains. (Adam Lindsay/Valley Press)
It was an evening of remembrance last Saturday night on the greenway of Plains when the Cancer Network of Sanders County held its first luminaria display.
The display featured more than 100 luminarias which were placed along the sidewalk. Local residents wrote the names of their loved ones who have passed due to cancer and those who have endured the disease on pieces of paper. Some also wrote messages on the notes, including “Love You.”
The pieces of paper were placed in small plastic bags with a small, lit candle.
The displays remained on the greenway until Sunday morning.
Each display cost $5 and the money will go to support Sanders County residents who are battling cancer.
The Cancer Network also holds a lantern launch in the fall to remember loved ones afflicted by cancer.
Since its inception in January 2001, the Network has given away $750,000 to cancer patients in Sanders County. They are always looking for more volunteers so they can properly represent all of Sanders County.
All a community member must do is to apply to the network and be receiving treatment or have proof of a diagnosis of cancer from a legitimate physician. Then the network will simply send them a check.
Applicants can apply once a year and each check the network sends is $900.
The group was started after a local quilt guild member was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Since the price of treatment can be overwhelming the other guild members decided to jump into action and to work together to make a quilt to raffle off.
Any member of the community, and of Sanders County, can apply for assistance from the Cancer Network, and applications can be picked up at nearly any bank in the county.
If an application is accepted a check is sent immediately to the address given by the applicant.
Applicants can apply only once a year. Perspective contributors can simply mail checks to P.O. Box 1311, Plains, Montana 59859.
For more information, go to http://www.cancernetworksanderscounty.org/.