Published: June 03, 2009 12:17 pm      

Community ready to ‘relay’

Cancer Society Relay for Life event kicks off Friday evening with parade lap

By PAUL LORENZ

paul.lorenz@mcleansborotimesleader.com

McLEANSBORO — A man with terminal cancer was undergoing chemotherapy treatment to maintain quality of life.

He and his wife lived in a mobile home, it was July in Southern Illinois — and they had no air-conditioning. He was miserable, his wife told the American Cancer Society office in Marion.

“They asked if the American Cancer Society could get them an air-conditioner,” Penni Quitsch, patient services representative with the Southern Illinois ACS office, related at a Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce lunch last week. “Well, the American Cancer Society couldn’t just go out and buy an air-conditioner.”

But, a few phone calls later, the office had arranged for the donation of an air-conditioner by the local Home Depot store, Quitsch said.

“We’re going to try very hard to meet the needs of the people who come to us,” she said.

Quitsch and Andrea Butler of the Marion ACS office spoke here May 28 in advance of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life event which starts at 6 p.m. Friday on the downtown square in McLeansboro.

Relay for Life is an annual overnight event designed to “celebrate survivorship” and raise money for cancer research and local American Cancer Society programs, according to information on the ACS Web site.

The Marion ACS office covers 22 Southern Illinois counties. Its patient services include free wigs for cancer patients, available in Marion, Carbondale, Mt. Vernon and Fairfield — and “we will come to you,” Quitsch said; free transportation to cancer treatment and related appointments; support programs utilizing trained cancer survivors; and Look Good ... Feel Better, a free program which teaches beauty techniques to women cancer patients in active treatment.

Road to Recovery, the transportation program, currently has only one volunteer driver in Hamilton County, Quitsch noted.

“All of the research in the world doesn’t do any good if we can’t get people back and forth to treatment,” she said.

During Relay for Life, teams of people gather to take turns walking or running laps.

Hamilton County’s Relay for Life event will kick off with a parade lap featuring local motorcycle riders, according to information from the Katie-Dids Relay for Life team.

Bikers will meet at the old McLeansboro High School parking lot, at Cherry Street and Jerry Sloan Avenue, at 5 p.m. Friday; the parade lap will begin at 5:45 p.m. with a police escort through town and end at the downtown square.

Also, live musical entertainment will include Megan Crain, the Hamilton County Pickers, Keith Ital, Bethany Karcher, the New Life Singers and Travis Parks.

Food will be available, including fish and chips, brats, sloppy Joes, tacos in a bag, fruit kabobs, smoothies, sweets, chips, pie and drinks.

There will be a luminary ceremony at 9 p.m. Friday.

Closing ceremonies will start at 6 a.m. Saturday.

“Any money raised will be used to help give rides, buy wigs” and provide other services, Butler said.

• For information about the parade lap: Andy Blackwell, 927-6478.