Relayers walk, roll for a cure

By Tara Kaprowy
Staff Writer

June 27, 2008 12:35 pm

— Cancer survivor Greg Southerland proudly pushed his granddaughter’s stroller around the track during Friday’s Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Sitting in said stroller was a smiling Rylee Southerland, wearing a tiny pink tee declaring “Rolling for a cure.”
“I’m doing real good,” the papaw declared. “I’m glad to be here. This is my third year. The first year I came I was still sick. I hope I can do a lot more than the one lap I could do that year.”
Southerland was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, but was one of dozens who received a survivors medal during the opening ceremony.
Another of the survivors was Kim Sargent, who was likewise happy to be at the event.
“I love it,” she said. “I did it before I had cancer. I like the fact that it raises awareness for education and promotion.”
It was the seventh year Sargent participated. She was diagnosed with cancer Dec. 26, 2007, “one day after Christmas,” she said.
But today she’s doing well.
“As far as I know, it’s gone,” she said.
Handing out the survivors medals was Jerry Guinan, whose wife, Diane, served as the survivor chairwoman before her death in April.
Marti Harris, ACS’s community representative, remembered Guinan fondly.
“She was very committed to the survivors and committed to the Hope Lodge,” she said. “Those were her two pet things.”
Billie King filled Guinan’s place and spoke of the importance of the lodge, a home-away-from-home for cancer patients.
“We have a lot of people skeptical about where their money goes,” she said. “But we had 16 Laurel Countians since Sept. 1, 2007 who spent 386 days in Hope Lodge in Lexington, Ky. That cost them absolutely not 1 cent. If we started adding up and multiplying the nights, at $100 for a hotel room, that’s $38,600 Laurel County has received.”
King underscored the importance of continuing to support the relay.
“Someone you know is going to receive a blessing for what we give,” she said.
Harris said the event raised $40,000 this year.
“All of our teams worked hard,” she said. “We had two small teams — the family of Sharon Kaye and the Saddlebrook gals of the B.P. in Saddlebrook — who raised $2,000 in less than three weeks.”
Harris added long-time participants St. Joseph-London and Flowers Bakery also helped out a great deal.
Flowers employee Tina Miller was pleased to participate.
“It’s great,” she said. “It raises money and it brings the community together.”
Missing at the event were about 65 students from University of Kentucky’s, who got tied up in traffic caused by an accident on Interstate 75.
“That happened to them last year too,” Harris said.
The money raised will go toward the American Cancer Society’s research, education, advocacy and patient services. The date for next year’s Relay for Life has not yet been decided.

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