Monday, June 17, 2013
 
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Up past midnight and happy in Logan County

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[June 17, 2013]  Who goes for a walk in the middle of the night and is happy about it?

In the early morning hours Saturday, there were sane people up, walking and talking at the Lincoln Center, and they were willing to share their stories. Lively music by DJ Chris Ramlow of Log Cabin Entertainment was playing in the background and the atmosphere was festive. And why not -- it was the annual Relay For Life walk to end cancer.

One of those present and keeping the early vigil was Bill Post, an honorary chair for the event this year.

Post has been attending since April 1998 to honor his sister, Donna Roschnafsky, who lost her fight with cancer in 1984 and was laid to rest on July 24, her 50th birthday.

Post was instrumental in getting the names on the luminaria bags this year, and at the 9 p.m. reading he cited over 1,000 names to honor cancer survivors and those who have lost the battle with this terrible disease.

Post has never been on a relay team, but he has been involved with the event for many years and said that he plans to continue to help as long as he is able.

Members of Robin Ingram's team were up, too. She was the other honorary co-chair, and team members Holly Meteer, Aubrey Letterle and Jodi Deters were participating in the event for their second time.

When Ingram was diagnosed with cancer last year, there were 50 people on the team for that first year. This year there were 30 members -- family and friends by her side.

The girls said they do not have to ask people to help, because people just volunteer. These team members and their friends were more than willing to make cash donations for the fight against cancer.

"As soon as you tell them what it's for, it's no problem," Deters said.

They all agreed, this team will continue to participate in the Relay For Life as long as they are needed.

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Jim and Susan Gehlbach are familiar faces in the community. Why were the two of them still there in the wee hours of the morning?

Jim and Susan both lost their moms to renal cell carcinoma, a cancer that forms in the lining of very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste products. Jim's mom, Patsy Gehlbach, died 15 years ago. Susan's mom, Fran Lessen, walked in the Relay For Life in April 2003 before losing her battle in June of the same year.

This is the 16th year for the Gehlbach team, Angels All Around.

Several years ago there was a rule that there could be only 15 members on a team. So, the Gehlbachs put together two teams of 15 members each. This year they had 12 family team members.

The Gehlbach teams have raised over $60,000 over the years for the battle against cancer

Mike and Nicole Lee were up, too. Nicole, one of the event co-chairs, was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. She and her husband continue to walk even though Nicole has been cancer-free since 2011. Nicole's team is made up of 25 family members and close friends.

This year during the opening ceremony, Nicole had her hair cut, a 13-inch ponytail, to donate to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. It was an emotional moment, not only for Nicole but for many in the crowd who witnessed her gesture of love.

The overnight event is a reminder that cancer does not sleep. Those participating were not concerned about sleep, but about helping to find a cure for the dreaded disease. Everyone was just happy to be there, enjoying the camaraderie of family and friends.

One and all just want to help save a life.

[By LISA RAMLOW]

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