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Volunteers Are True To Life

B.C. MANION/Tribune Staff

Susanne Shrewsbury, of Schwarzkopf Elementary, helps decorate the school’s tent. The colorful decorations the team used, in their “Hula For Hope,” theme won over the judges. The school won first place in the tent decorating contest.

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By B.C. MANION

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

LUTZ - By the time the booths had been dismantled, the tents had been folded and the walkers had gone home, this year's Lutz Relay For Life had taken in about $50,000.

But that number tells only a fraction of the story. The giving went far beyond the money.

Volunteers came together at Train Depot Park last weekend to raise money - and awareness - in the fight against cancer.

Elaine Warner of the Lutz-Land O' Lakes Woman's Club spent the better part of April 25 running from store to store searching for decorations for the club's booth.

She was there the next morning, too, doling out bottles of water to volunteers who were taking down tents and then cleaning grease from a grill used the night before to cook hamburgers and hot dogs.

Ryan Campbell, who turned 13 Sunday, spent part of his weekend hanging decorations in hard-to-reach places on Learning Gate Community School's tent.

Eight-year-old Justin Kuhlman did his part, too, tugging a wheelbarrow filled with luminaries while his dad, Scott, unloaded the white paper bags - lining them into a neat row.

Jean Buffington, a 73-year-old colon cancer survivor, couldn't join other survivors kicking off the event during an honorary first lap because she has arthritis.

She wanted to be involved, though, so Buffington volunteered to pass out T-shirts to the other survivors being honored.

William and Diane Westcott, leaders of the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, were up at 1 a.m., manning a booth selling pork dinners and nachos.

A few yards away, Sherri Jennings and Kelly McCormack of Schwarzkopf Elementary were making a trek around the park.

Scenes like these play out across the country as nearly 3.5 million people take part in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life.

People form teams that raise donations by walking or running around a track. At least one member of the team must be on the track at all times.

Beyond raising money, the event also provides a venue for people to support those battling cancer, celebrate survivors and honor those who have died.

In Lutz, volunteer after volunteer said they were there because they had survived cancer or knew someone who had been diagnosed with it or died from it.

A group of cancer survivors took center stage during opening ceremonies, announcing the type of cancer they had and how long they have survived it.

Some took advantage of their moment in the spotlight to urge the crowd to take steps to prevent cancer.

"Get a colonoscopy," one survivor said.

"Do get your skin checked," said another.

"Take care of yourselves," another advised.

The Lutz event is a combination walk-a-thon and giant slumber party, but not many people sleep.

Annie Fernandez and Marilyn Wannamaker, the adult advisers for the Little Women of Lutz, brought chaise lounges in case they were able to get some shut-eye.

"Miss Marilyn and I slept in sleeping bags on the ground last year, and we said we'd never do that again," Fernandez said.

"Mainly, because we weren't sure we'd be able to get back up," Wannamaker quipped.

Michelle Logan of Lutz Elementary raised the most money individually - pulling in more than $4,000.

She knows the trauma of living with cancer; she's gone through two mastectomies and a hysterectomy.

"I can't explain chemo to anybody," she said. "It's the absolute worst thing anybody has to go through on Earth."

She's also experienced how helpful the American Cancer Society can be.

She recalls how the organization helped her when she was diagnosed 12 years ago. She was young and didn't know where to go or what to do, she said.

"They were there to offer wigs, to talk to you about what was going to happen."

Others who raised sizable amounts were Auralee Buckingham of the Lutz Land-O'Lakes Woman's Club and Laura McCoole, Maniscalco Elementary, each of whom raised more than $1,500.

The team from Lutz Elementary raised the most money, topping $11,000, and also won the event's spirit award.

Schwarzkopf Elementary won the decorating contest, with its "Hula for Hope" theme.

Reporter B.C. Manion can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or bmanion@tampatrib.com.

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