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It’s been 15 years since Larry Halverson launched a local fund-raiser to generate awareness for the fight against cancer.
The first Loreen Miller Memorial Bike Ride took place in August 1994, just three months after Halverson’s fiancée passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. A dozen participants signed up that year and raised around $500.
“I wanted to honor Loreen’s memory,” Halverson said.
Each year, the event drew more attention – and produced more donations for Cancer Patient Care, a Spokane-based organization that supports low-income cancer patients and their families free of charge. Halverson remembers reaching a milestone when he and other organizers brought in a canopy to set up along the race route.
“I thought, ‘This is really turning into an event,’” Halverson said. “’We have a tent.’”
Last year, close to 600 bicyclists signed up for the cause. Nearly $30,000 was raised for CPC.
Halverson stepped down as event chairman two years ago, but still is actively involved in supporting efforts to find a cure for cancer. On June 22, he will participate in the Iron Man Triatholon in Couer d’Alene as part of a pledge drive to raise $50,000 on behalf of CPC which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
As for the success of the bike ride, Halverson gave credit to a dedicated corps of volunteers, now around 300 strong.
“For an event to be successful, you really have to care about it,” he said. “The volunteers who work on this are just incredible.”
In 2006, CPC teamed up with the local branch of the American Cancer Society and Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest, a group that supports children and their families impacted by cancer, to sponsor Cancer Awareness Week. According to Cliff Evans, CPC executive director, the idea was to set aside a time to emphasize the collaboration of area agencies “and how important it is for the community to support each of these causes.”
“One of the messages we all agreed on is that we’re fighting cancer, not each other,” Evans said. “We need the community’s support and each of our organizations providing a different avenue to fight cancer.”
Sponsored by Premera Blue Cross, Cancer Awareness Week 2008 will kick off on Friday, May 30 with the Relay for Life events scheduled at Spokane Falls Community College as well as Post Falls. Additional relays will take place in Nine Mile Falls (June 6); at East Valley High School (June 13) and in the Pend Oreille Valley on Aug. 9.
Debi Gallagher, community relations manager for ACS, said the dedicated week has helped residents understand that there is no shortage of support for those going through treatment for cancer.
“The publicity gets more of the community involved,” Gallagher said. “Each of the organizations have our own unique area we address. People are realizing they have a number of outlets to fight cancer.”
A major aspect of the ACS mission is to get the word out about preventative steps to keep cancer away. The organization reports that 85 percent of all cancer deaths could be avoided through a combination of regular screenings, consistent exercise, a healthy diet including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and avoiding tobacco products.
Throughout the week, each agency will host an open house, beginning with Candlelighters on Monday, June 2 to be held at 14109 E. Sprague, Suite 9. The ACS open house will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 920 N.
Washington, Suite 200 in Spokane, followed by CPC on Thursday, June 5, at 1507 E. Sprague. Candlelighters will also host open houses on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8.
The agenda will also include the latest in a series of “Health Talks” sponsored by Premera Blue Cross and the Rockwood Clinic. On Tuesday, June 3, a presentation on “The Importance of Colorectoral Screenings in the Early Detection of Colon Cancer” will take place at the Rockwood Clinic, 400 E. Fifth Ave. in Spokane.
Halverson said the highlight of his week is talking to those who have overcome the disease through the support of local resources like CPC. The agency provides a wide array of free resources from mammography tests to financial help in areas like rent and groceries.
“This is a week where we honor those who have survived and those who have passed on,” Halverson said. “It’s great to meet people who have been through so much and are there to celebrate their life.”
Want to find out more?
To learn more about cancer treatment and prevention, visit the American Cancer Society Web site at www.cancer.org or call the ACS 24-hour, toll-free help-line at 1-800-227-2345. Cancer Patient Care can be reached at 456-0446 or on the Web at www.cancerpatientcare.org.
To find out more about Candlelighters of the Inland Northwest, call 474-2759 or visit www.candlelightersinlandnw.org.
Other helpful Web sites include www.beatcancer.org and www.aicr.org and www.cancerfightingstrategies.com.
For a complete schedule of Cancer Awareness Week events, go to www.cancerawarenessweek.org or call 242-8291.
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By
Craig Howard
