Relay For Life 2009: We won't stop fighting

(Sentinel photo by Beverly Van Buskirk) Leading off the 2009 Relay For Life of Plymouth County Survivor Lap Friday were Donna Laughton and Jerry Gorrell, escorted by Cub Scout Andrew Schwartz. [Click to enlarge]

While there were a few raindrops during the luminaria ceremony, it didn't dampen the spirits of participants at the 13th annual Relay For Life of Plymouth County Friday evening.

Participants in the America Cancer Society event included cancer survivors, caregivers, family members and friends, and 12 teams of walkers who raised money for the American Cancer Society.

Shelly Clay serves as captain for Team Mitchel, which started participating in 2007.

A luminaria honoring Joshua Price on his 12 years of being a cancer survivor was one of many which lined the track at Jim Lorenzen Field Friday night. [Click to enlarge]

"We lost our nephew to brain cancer," she said of the team's namesake, Mitchel Scheitler, son of Jed and Jeannie Scheitler of Maurice. "He was 18 months old and died on Easter."

"We hustled and got a team together that year and raised $2,000," she said.

Since then, team members have hosted a softball tourney, one year in Maurice and this year in Remsen. Their fun run (similar to a poker run) took participants from Le Mars to Alton, Germantown, Paullina, Marcus and Remsen, all to raise funds for Team Mitchel.

"It's fun to do Relay For Life," Clay said. "We like to do the campsite and the fundraisers."

Their campsite this year included an opportunity to play "Guitar Hero" for a donation.

Cancer survivor Norm Barker, of Le Mars, took his lap around the track during the Survivor Lap.

"It's good to have the public here, have the community participation and see those who have won the fight against cancer," he said. "It shows concern for everyone."

Barker is a two-time cancer survivor. He added that at his visits to the Cancer Center in Sioux City every six months, he always sees someone he knows.

"There's usually more than one person I know there," he said. "There are a lot of us around."

Several teams are still conducting fundraisers and collecting money for the 2009 Relay For Life, so a total number of dollars raised will not be available until later.

Team Mitchel was named the top fundraising team at Friday's event, with the team from Wal-Mart taking the top campsite honor with the "Surf's Up" campsite theme.