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Raising money and taking the fight to cancer

They may still have aching feet, but the participants in the 2015 Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society can look back on a successful fundraiser that had its focus in the right place – not on money, although they’ve raised almost $89,000 so far – but on people, those whose lives have been changed either by fighting the disease or helping a loved one through it.

Much of the focus this year was on survivors, or Heroes of Hope as they were dubbed. Nikki Brandes was named Volunteer of the Year for her efforts in doing something special for those who have undergone the shock of hearing that dreaded diagnosis along with the rounds of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and dread at every check-up.

Perhaps Brandes’ most powerful innovation this year was adding a Cancer Survivors Dinner, with the dinner and use of the Pullman Room on June 19 thanks to the Strater Hotel. Guests enjoyed a lovely meal of an elaborate salad bar with multiple toppings, teriyaki-marinated beef medallions with shitake-mushoom demi-glace, lemon-herb chicken with roasted poblano cream, mashed potatoes, a vegetable medley, rolls and a variety of desserts, including chocolate cake, the Strater’s yummy white cake with raspberry coulis and pecan pie.

It wasn’t so much about speechifying as it was celebrating. April Albert of Blossom donated fragrant floral arrangements that went home with some lucky door prize winners. Kirk James provided an acoustic guitar backdrop of music.

Brandes and friends had collected party favors that turned into deluxe gift bags, including wine, goodies from the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a spa kit, a gift card to Urban Market, healthy green tea from the White Dragon Tea Room and, well, you get the picture.

Oncologist Dr. Cynthia Cathcart, who has helped many of the survivors make it through their course of treatment and celebrate more birthdays, talked about how luck or good fortune can be an important component of survival.

“Someone has a car accident, injures his shoulder and, while doing a scan, they find a tumor,” she said. “Or maybe a cat scratches a mole that won’t stop bleeding, so the person goes to get it treated, and they discover it’s a melanoma.”

Sometimes, it’s a matter of biology, where one woman has a large breast cancer in 30 nodes, she’s treated, and nothing else happens for 30 years, while another woman’s cancer is caught when it’s small, but she’s dead within two years.

But good decisions play a significant part in survival, she said, including getting a mammogram, colonoscopy and prostate exam on a regular basis. A colonoscopy serves two functions – not only does it detect colorectal cancers, it’s the only diagnostic procedure that helps protect against the disease through the removal of polyps.

But the greatest indicator of surviving cancer she has found is attitude.

Dr. Jesse Hutt, a pediatric oncologist, didn’t talk about working with children, she talked about finding herself on the other side of the desk being told she had breast cancer.

It has changed her life, but her talk about how she practices medicine was powerful, thoughtful, and, at times, funny, She’s become a hat connoisseur, she said, and feels no guilt buying them, even if she’s not planning to wear them.

The final speaker was Ginna Harbison, who began her journey with a cancer diagnosis, before becoming a staff member of the cancer society and now a volunteer. She urged survivors to volunteer at the Cancer Resource Center.

The first time I wrote about Relay more than a decade ago, I wrote that I didn’t know anyone whose life hadn’t been touched in some way by cancer. I got a note from a literal-minded reader saying that wasn’t true, and he was a case in point. His life hadn’t been touched by cancer. Really? I wrote back. No colleagues, no family members, no friends? No, he said. You don’t go to church or belong to any organizations? Well, yes, he said, naming about five. By the time we finished multiple exchanges, I had pointed out about 10 people in those organizations who had either died of cancer or survived it.

Kudos go to co-chairwomen Jenni Mund and Amber Morris and their gang of merry volunteers for another successful Relay for Life, and to Brandes, who reminded every single survivor how happy we are they are still around.

HHH

Sharing a birthday with the USA means there will be fireworks going off for the birthdays of Hannah Buck, Brian Van Mols, Kayte Barnes, Suzanne Zerbe, Mary Santistevan, Sally Silva, Leslie Wigley, Deborah Miller, Allison Morrissey, Jackie DiSanto, Dave Claussen, Maria Kolter, Moni Grushkin, Lloyd Lasher III, Greg Maxey, Mike Dalenberg, Linda Tikalsky, Frank Priest, Duane Danielson, Ken Hartlein, Abigail Lowe and Charlie Mickel.

HHH

Two years ago, Morley Ballantine was the first woman from Southwest Colorado inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. It took a tremendous effort by Rochelle Mann and Debra Parmenter to make it happen because the nomination requirements are no small thing.

So that’s why I’m running a story now about the call for nominations for the Class of 2016 because they’re due Aug. 1, and they’re not like a short essay you can knock out in an hour the night before.

The woman must have strong ties to Colorado, obviously, have made lasting contributions to her field or fields of endeavor – Ballantine was honored for journalism, civic leadership and philanthropic contributions – have raised the status of women and helped open new frontiers for the gender and inspired others by her example.

Visit www.cogreatwomen.org for more information and to download a nomination form.

Susan Lander is on the board of directors for the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, and she’s a woman on a mission – to see our part of the state better represented in the hall.

I can think of two historic women who should be on the list, Caroline Romney and Estelle Camp and an activist, the late Judith Aitken; but I can hardly choose among those I know currently making a difference.

HHH

Here’s how to reach me: neighbors@durangoherald.com or phone 375-4584.



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