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The team is made up of staff, family members and
friends from Lincoln Daily News, Collision Concepts and Lincoln
Printers.
In addition to those three, the Atlanta National
Bank, CCAonline, New Holland Banking Center, and Harnacke Buildings
have played a big part in helping the team through sponsorship,
helping to sell this year’s raffle tickets, and donating this year’s
big raffle prize.
The raffle being held as a part of the team’s
fundraising efforts this year is a peddle tractor that celebrates
the 50th anniversary of the International Harvester 856. The Gold
Edition 856 was donated to the team by Ken Harnacke of Harnacke
Building in New Holland. Ken donated the item in honor of his wife
Carla, who is a cancer survivor.
As many might know Ken passed away Relay week and his funeral was
held on the same Saturday. Ken was diagnosed with cancer not too
long after he donated the peddle tractor. He went through treatment
and rehab and did well, then died suddenly this past week of heart
failure.
In the Friends and Family tent this year, there were three major
components. The tractor was in the foreground of the tent, with
Ken’s photo keeping watch over the day. While the goal of the day
was no longer to raise money with the tractor, but for it to serve
as a remembrance of this kind, generous, community-minded man with a
big heart.
There were a number of folks who stopped by and purchased tickets.
While there, some remembered Ken and shared their feelings of
respect for him with members of the team.
The relay tent also featured a table with magazines
from last year’s relay event, and an opportunity to advance order
the 2019 paper copy of the online magazine. Several took advantage
of these opportunities. The magazines were printed by Lincoln
Printers at no charge, and the $10 asking price went straight to the
team’s Relay for Life account, which all goes to the ACS.
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 The two display tables for the tractor and the
magazines were also decorated with pictures of auction winners from
last year’s Pink Pumpkin Fundraiser Auction. To date, the Friends
and Family Relay team has raised more than $10,000 for the American
Cancer Society, with a large portion of that coming from the Pink
Pumpkin fundraiser Auction. Another such auction is being planned
for this year in October.
In the back part of the tent was a photo backdrop for
everyone in attendance who wished, to have their photo taken to be
in this year’s magazine. The backdrop echoed the story in the Dr.
Suess book the team chose as their campsite theme.
“Who are you Sue Snue?” is a part of the Dr. Seuss Wonderpaloousa
book series. The book was actually written by Tish Rabe, but is
endorsed by the Dr. Seuss publications and includes the Cat in the
Hat, Dr. Seuss’ most iconic character.
The story goes that Sue Snue is celebrating her birthday. Now that
she has reached a certain age, it is time for her decide what she is
going to do with her life – who will she be like? She is given a
wide variety of possibilities as her family has set some very good
examples when it comes to career choices. As she travels through the
pages of the book, accompanied by the Cat in the Hat, she hears the
positives of each choice others have made. Finally, Sue is asked to
make her decision. She thinks about it only a moment when she says
she knows exactly what she will do and who she will be and exclaims
“I will be ME!”
The team chose the book for two reasons. First, and the lesser of
the two, all survivors celebrate their ‘new’ birthday marking their
years of survivorship. Secondly and most importantly, the team
wanted to convey the message that even when we have cancer, that is
not our defining moment in life. So the moral is, “I won’t let
cancer define me, I will be ME!” whoever that is.
The photo op was open to survivors, fighters and supporters alike,
because cancer is a community effort, whether that be close friends
or family members, we all go through it together, and we should all
remember not to let it take us over, and to still be who we really
are.
Throughout the evening, several guests at the Relay took advantage
of the backdrop and allowed LDN the privilege of taking their
picture for this year’s edition of the LDN Relay for Life Magazine.
Thanks to all!
[Nila Smith] |
