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 Cancer doesn’t care if you have the flu or are a
victim of the pandemic. It doesn’t care if you wear a face mask or
social distance. It doesn’t care if you are having financial
concerns due to lay-offs related to coronavirus. It doesn’t care if
you have become a rather unwilling home school teacher. Cancer just
doesn’t care, period, about anything but itself.
While we have watched the devastating effect of a world-wide
pandemic, cancer is still raging inside the bodies of many of our
friends and neighbors. The impact it is having on those families is,
if anything, worse now because of the pandemic.
In the early stages of coronavirus, we heard stories of people who
couldn’t get the cancer screenings they felt they needed. We also
heard of people who had to face their doctors without their support
team.
Today, hospitals and medical centers have launched campaigns to
assure the public that they are safe inside the facilities and that
putting off exams and screenings is a bad idea.
Putting off screening for breast cancer is a very bad idea.
Statistics show that the best chances of survival of breast cancer
come when the cancer is diagnosed early.
Education on breast cancer and other cancers has been limited this
year.
The goal of Paint the Paper Pink is to help raise awareness,
educate, and also show those who have this disease that while they
may be isolated, they are not alone.
Lincoln Daily News plan is to host daily photos of local folks
wearing their pink shirts showing support for those who are
currently breast cancer warriors.
Why do we focus our efforts on breast cancer?
Below are 2020 statistics from the American Cancer Society on breast
cancer:
Current year estimates for breast cancer
About 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed
in women.
About 48,530 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed
(CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).
About 42,170 women will die from breast cancer.
Trends in breast cancer incidence
In recent years, incidence rates have increased slightly (by 0.3%
per year).
Trends in breast cancer deaths
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women
(only lung cancer kills more women each year). The chance that a
woman will die from breast cancer is about 1 in 38 (about 2.6%).
Since 2007, breast cancer death rates have been steady in women
younger than 50, but have continued to decrease in older women. From
2013 to 2017, the death rate decreased by 1.3% per year.
These decreases are believed to be the result of finding breast
cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as
better treatments.
Breast cancer survivors
At this time there are more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors
in the United States. This includes women still being treated and
those who have completed treatment.
Fundraiser for breast cancer awareness
This would have been the third year for the annual Pink Pumpkin
Auction hosted by the Friends and Family Relay for Life Team made up
of owners and staff from Collision Concepts, CCA online, Lincoln
Daily News and Lincoln Printers. The team was disappointed there was
no way that it could host an auction this year under current Covid
guidelines.
In October of 2019, the Pink Pumpkin Auction raised more than
$20,000 for the American Cancer Society. The money was raised due to
the generosity of the Logan County community. Donations from local
businesses and organizations poured in at a very rapid pace. The
team was astonished by the number of people who wanted to give to
this great fundraiser. In the second year, the auction included a
live auction with local auctioneer Mike Maske donating his time, and
Collision Concepts donating the space. A new addition last year was
the silent auction.
Amazing food was donated by Nuthatch Hill BBQ and Erv & Cindy Guyett,
owners of Collision Concepts.
And then there were all those wonderful people who came in to bid
and buy the items donated. The evening saw about 125 guests with fat
wallets coming in to show their support for a very worthy cause. The
end result of that one night filled the team with joy and pride in
our community.
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 This year, fundraising is not going to be that
large, but the team is still thankful for every penny, nickel, dime
and dollar that it brings in to help those in our community fighting
the disease. On September 12th the team
hosted a sandwich drive thru in the parking lot of CCA and LDN. New
this year, were mystery bags that were filled with goodies donated
by local businesses, again there was an overwhelming outpouring of
generosity put into those bags.
That first sale brought in $1,400 for breast cancer research and
support.
A second sale is going to be held on October 10. Again there will be
mystery bags filled with goodies available for $10 or $20 each. Rib
eye and pork chop sandwiches will be sold for $6 each.
A repeat from 2019 will be the raffle for a pedal tractor. As many
will recall, the 2019 gold anniversary edition International pedal
tractor was donated by the late Ken Harnacke.
This year the team was happily surprised when Central
Illinois Ag of Atlanta chose to donate a pink pedal tractor by Ertl.
This tractor is a replica of a vintage McCormick Farmall C
(International Harvester) valued at approximately $300. Tickets are
on sale at Central Illinois Ag and The Atlanta National Bank in
Atlanta and Lincoln Daily News/CCAOnline and Collision Concepts in
Lincoln. The cost will be $5 per ticket or five tickets for $20.
The tractor will also be on display and tickets sold at the October
10th sandwich sale.
Another repeat fundraiser for the team will be a meal day at the
Country Aire Restaurant. That will take place on Wednesday, October
7th. The Country Aire will donate 10 percent of its total receipts
from the day. Wednesday evening the restaurant will also feature
it’s all you can eat fried chicken.
The pink tractor will be at Country Aire on Wednesday evening and
tickets will be available during that time.
Paint the Paper Pink pictures
Lincoln Daily News began the Paint the Paper Pink project in 2017.
It was Cindy Guyett who saw the need to do something as a community
for breast cancer warriors and survivors.
2017 She saw how
demonstrations of love and support mean a great deal, and what
better way to show it than to don the pink and send the message to
all warriors “You are not alone.”
LDN strongly suggests that all participants wear face masks.
At LDN, we understand not everyone will wear masks. We ask you not
judge others on their choice and recognize the position of the heart
of the people in the photos. The heart is what counts here, and the
heart is with our breast cancer warriors.
As an option, businesses and organizations in Logan County have the
choice to submit a photo or a personal message. Already, some have
said they send their love, their prayers, and they want our warriors
to know that they care and support them.
And finally, while the focus of the month is on breast cancer, the
support and love we show through this special month is for all the
people in our community who have become cancer warriors.
Our personal message to all of you is “GO WARRIORS, YOU CAN DO IT!
You can and will be survivors!”
Our prayers are with all of you, and we want you to all feel our
love and concern for your wellbeing.
[Nila Smith] |
