Relay for Life fundraising starts in earnest
133 participants. 28 teams. $8,681 raised.
At least those were the numbers online at the Relay for Life
Hollister Web site one month before the Hollister walk, planned for
Aug. 1 and 2 from noon to noon at the San Benito High School Andy
Hardin Field. Check the Web site now and chances are the numbers
will be higher. And that doesn’t include teams who haven’t created
a Web site to raise money, or money any team has collected from
other fundraisers.
Relay for Life fundraising starts in earnest
133 participants. 28 teams. $8,681 raised.
At least those were the numbers online at the Relay for Life Hollister Web site one month before the Hollister walk, planned for Aug. 1 and 2 from noon to noon at the San Benito High School Andy Hardin Field. Check the Web site now and chances are the numbers will be higher. And that doesn’t include teams who haven’t created a Web site to raise money, or money any team has collected from other fundraisers.
Michael Rupp walks for Laurel Rupp. Gina Perry walks for Patty Wright. Sara Bartels walks for a co-worker named Gary. When locals are asked why they participate in Relay for Life, year after year, the answers are often the same – someone they know was diagnosed with cancer.
Perry lost her mother Patty Wright to cancer just three weeks before last year’s Relay for Life.
“My thought is she is still making me do things even though she’s not here,” Perry said, of participating in Relay. “She is the inspiration behind my motivation.”
Through the Relay Web site, teams and participants can create a personal site where they explain their reasons for doing the Relay. Perry is candid on hers and has collected nearly half of her $1,000 goal through online donations.
Her mother, Patty, was the survivor chairperson for the local committee last year. Patty was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, a cancer of the uterus that is detected in 40,000 women each year, in 2005. Doctors removed a tumor and put her on chemotherapy. After several treatments doctors took her off the chemo because of severe side effects. The cancer returned.
“She was so sick at the time of the Relay (in 2007) I wasn’t totally into it,” Perry said. “It was more of her event. It was her fundraising goal and then just seeing the importance of it just opened my eyes to it.”
Still, she showed up with family and friends and walked the track. This year family from as far away as Texas and Oregon, as well as from Los Angeles, Chico and Redding, are planning to visit Hollister for the Relay. Her team is sponsored by her father, who owns Wright Brothers Welding and Sheet Metal, and her brother. As sponsors, they provided funds for T-shirts and other supplies. So far, Perry has 25 registered members on her team and they’ve already started their fundraising.
Larae Huston is co-captain with Perry and has hleped organize events. The two planned a comedy dinner show at Paine’s Restaurant.
“My mom has a cousin who is a comedian, born and raised local, but he lives on the East Coast,” Perry said. “He happened to be here and agreed to donate his time.”
With help from Paine’s owners, who donated the back room, and other businesses in town the event was pure profit.
Like Perry, Sara Bartels also participates in Relay in memory of someone. While participating in the Relay for Life in Utah, she lost a coworker to cancer.
“I have raised $1,200 and primarily what I did was send out just a message to all my family and friends,” she said, “And I said, ‘Hey you know I am doing this because of Gary but I know you all know someone with cancer.'”
Bartels is a member of the Pinnacles Employees Association team, and they, too, have already conducted fundraisers ranging from garage sales to bake sales. They have also collected money on the Web site.
When asked what she is most looking forward to this year, she had a quick answer.
“Winning the top team by raising the most money,” she joked, adding, “It all goes for a good cause. Whether we are on top or not doesn’t matter.”
So far their team is No. 1 for online donations.
Her teammate Michael Rupp set up their team Web site. He is participating in honor of his mother, Laurel.
Though he has participated in Relay for three years, he has never made it to the opening ceremonies. This year, he will make it.
“My mom is a breast cancer survivor so I am walking with my mom in her survivor lap,” Rupp said. “There is something about the luminaries – they had [the word] hope spelled out in the bleachers – that is a testimony to keep you company as you are walking that track at four in the morning.”
What to expect this year:
Aug. 1 marks the 10th anniversary of the Relay for Life Hollister and the committee members have some special activities in mind that they are keeping under tight wraps. One thing Carol Tortorelli, a co-chair for Relay and a 6-year cancer survivor, did reveal is a plan for a torch Relay from the county offices to the San Benito High School.
“We’ve got a really spectacular closing planned,” she said. “But we will keep it a secret to entice people to stay.”
Those interested in starting a team or joining an existing team can call Kim Vera at 801-4615 or e-mail her at [email protected]. Many teams are still looking for participants, including the Hollister United Methodist Church, whose members are running in memory of Virginia Samuelson. To sign up with their team, call 637-4240.
The next team captain’s meeting is July 24 at 6 p.m. at Paine’s Restaurant.
Survivors are also invited to participate in the survivor lap and can contact Sharon Taylor at 636-4665 or [email protected] for more information.
For more information on local teams or to make an online donation visit www.events.cancer.org/rflhollisterca.
