Fundraisers feel ‘family bond’ at event

Sara Ganim

CENTRE HALL — For many at the Centre Hall Relay For Life, these 24 hours are full of emotional ups and downs.

CDT/Melissa Doss

Sisters Paige Thomas, 2, and Haley Thomas, 5, of Lamar, watch a butterfly they released during the opening ceremony of Centre Hall's Relay for Life at the Grange Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 27, 2009. CDT/Melissa Doss

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Highs, like Spring Mills resident Becky Fultz wearing a wig with bright blue plastic hair during the “wacky lap” of the walk that raises money, awareness and support for cancer.

“Hopefully it will make some smiles on faces today,” she said Saturday. “It’s what people need.” Because there are lows too. Like the luminary track ceremony in honor of those afflicted with cancer.

“I’m not an emotional person,” said Centre Hall resident Joanne Heck. “But I get emotional about it.”

This year, the goal for the Centre Hall relay — which in the past two years has raised more than $330,000 — is $172,000. And, despite the bad economy, event chairman T.J. Coursen says he’s pretty confident they’ll at least come close.

“Certainly I think this community in particular is a really giving community,” he said. “There’s a little more of a struggle this year, but our teams work so hard.”

Coursen said 42 teams of eight to 15 people participated this year, with about 7,800 people attending. And preliminary fundraising numbers are higher than last year’s.

“The community rallies around events they care about,” he said.

The relay began Saturday and continues this morning at the Grange fairgrounds.

The Mountain Top Alive team, formed by a women’s club at the Snow Shoe church, is in its second year participating in the relay.

Sue Valimont said she’s hoping support like this can help find a cure before her kids grow up.

“Because I’ve lost too many people — too many people this year have been struck,” she said.

Valimont has been taking care of an aunt stricken with cancer.

Everyone on their team has somehow been touched by cancer, and Shirley Dudish said this day of walking reminds them they aren’t alone.

“It’s nice to be with people with the same experiences, same connections,” Fultz said. “It’s a nice family bond.”

Fultz got involved with the relay about 14 years ago, when her sister started a team in honor of their father, who died of cancer at age 65.

Her sister later died of cancer. “It’s about family,” Fultz said. “So I’m going to remember a lot of about family.”

Heck describes this cause as something she lives for.

“This is such a rewarding experience,” Heck said. “Just being down here with people walking for cancer and survivors. You just get a wonderful feeling.”