Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

To the Editor:

I would like to personally thank all of the people who helped in making the 2011 Relay for Life a success. Thanks to the teams who participated in all of the events leading up to Relay from the Fall Festival at Lavetta Simmons' home to 100 Days Out, Bark for Life, the Survivor Dinner and the Chamber of Commerce Coffee.

Thanks to Dale Johnson and Darryl Roller's coffee-drinking buddies who helped fill and set out luminaries on Relay morning. Thanks to Bob Beckham for his assistance in our use of the Frary Field Stadium and facilities, and especially for coming to our rescue when the threatening weather drove us into the gym.

Thanks to those who generously honored or remembered loved ones by buying luminaries or donating to the American Cancer Society in their names. Thanks to Gayla Croan, Sheryl Bloomfield and the FSMS ladies for selling Footprints to a Cure. Thanks to the Queen of Hearts Janet Tucker and her adorable grandsons, Gregg (the Mad Hatter) and Gabe (the White Rabbit) for posing for pictures at the Survivor Dinner. A special thanks to Mike Chipman for the inspiring words of a survivor on Relay Night.

Thanks to the Fort Scott Idol participants, Red Garter Girls and others who shared their talents during the Survivor Dinner and Relay's Got Talent, and a big thank you to Ken Clary for volunteering (?) to emcee the talent event. Thanks to teams who provided baskets for the auction, to those who purchased baskets and to Scott Gideon and Hayden Cole, our auctioneers.

Thanks to the Eddie Hall family for providing the delightful Tiger Bounce House and the slide on such short notice and a special thanks to Susan and Mike Carnes and Regina Cruse for staying with them so that kids could play safely. Thanks to Advanced Dental Care for their generous donation of the Invisilign Kit to a deserving young man. Thanks to Shelly Bradley with Locks of Love and to Serena Brown of Woods, who donated her 31-inch braid (for a total of 72 inches over six years), as well as others who also donated their hair to be made into wigs for cancer patients.

Thanks to the Tribune and KOMB-FM for providing great publicity for this and our earlier events. Thanks to our corporate sponsors whose names are seen on the backs of our Relay T-shirts. Thanks to Joy O'Neal for talking to the city commission, for arranging the radio time slots, for scheduling the chamber coffee and the dozens of jobs which she remembered needed to be done to make this a successful event. Thanks to Angie Carpenter for putting together the program and all of the other things which she did to keep us organized, but especially for hanging on to her gall bladder all the way until the Relay was over.

Thanks to those who sent pictures to be included in our slide show and for the help of Katie Rupprecht, Colby Barrett and Fritz Norbury in putting together the slide show so that we could honor and remember our loved ones. A person thanks to Colby for also putting together the music for the luminary ceremony, and for FSCC's "Dog the Bounty Hunter" skit. Thanks to Nicolette Carpenter and her family and friends for keeping the music going all night.

If I missed someone, please know that it takes many of us to pt together such an event and we appreciate the efforts of everyone who helped to make it a success. We welcome any new or former participants or teams to join us on July 6 at 6 p.m. in the Heritage Room on the FSCC campus for our 2011 wrap-up and to begin plans for the 2012 Relay. Together, we can make a difference!

Schery Rupprecht

FSCC Relay Team member

2011 Luminary Chairperson