RFL of Jones County a huge success

     After an absence of several years, the Relay For Life (RFL) of Jones County on Friday, Aug. 10 proved to be quite a success.

     The event was held at Dean Nelson Field in Monticello, providing a track for relayers to take laps throughout the evening.

     In addition to the silent auction and luminary sales, the event brought in excess of $10,000. Much of the support stemmed from numerous business sponsors and the almost-20 teams who raised money in support of the American Cancer Society.

     There was something for everyone that night with local dance groups providing entertainment, local celebrities taking turn in the dunk tank, and games and activities for people of all ages.

     To kick off the evening, co-chairs Amanda Hackney and Melissa Ehrisman thanked those in attendance and introduced the keynote speaker: Linda Siebels, a cancer survivor herself of multiple myeloma.

     “Just look around you…families, friends, co-workers, business and community leaders, children, grandparents, and neighbors are all here for the same reason: To put an end to cancer,” said Ehrisman.

     She said the five-hour relay is meant to symbolize a day in the life of someone with cancer, “a disease that never sleeps.”

     The RFL is an international movement to bring about an end to cancer.

     “We’re here tonight in Monticello to do what relayers do in more than 5,000 communities across America and 20 other countries. By walking the track, you are joining forces with three and a half million people worldwide who want to save lives. Together we are creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays,” said Ehrisman.

     Those in attendance that night each day his/her own reason for being there. However, Ehrisman said everyone that night had something in common: “We want to make a difference in the fight against cancer. We have gathered as a community, determined that those who are facing cancer will be supported, that those who have lost their battle with cancer will not be forgotten, and that together we will continue to fight back so that one day no one in Jones County will hear those dreaded words: “You have cancer.”

     The RFL came about fast, with an ambitious group working hard over the past two and a half months to make the night a success. “Even though we knew time was not on our side, we still took it on full force to come together for this amazing cause,” praised Ehrisman.

     Siebels gave a tearful, yet impactful speech about her road to hearing she had cancer, recovery and support by so many.

     “Being a cancer survivor is such a gift,” she said. “Almost everyone we know has been affected by cancer some how. Looking around at this event shows us just a small portion.”

     Siebels’ journey began in 2015 when she had a bout of pneumonia. After spending about a week in the hospital, going through a lot of blood tests, she was sent to the Hall-Perrine Cancer Center in Cedar Rapids. Following more blood work and a bone marrow biopsy, she was told she had multiple myeloma. This is rare blood disease, of which there is no cure.

     “I knew in my heart and mind I was going to fight this disease and win,” said Siebels.

     She said two fears immediately came to mind when hearing she had cancer: Her family and the costs associated with fighting cancer.

     “I knew I needed to get better so I could enjoy life,” Siebels said. “I knew I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me. I needed their love and support. I was going to stay even though I knew I was going to be sick, lose my hair, but I was going to survive.”

     On Oct. 14, 2016, Siebels underwent a stem-cell transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Those who have a transplant like this get to add another birthday to their calendar. This October, Siebels will be 2 years old!

     “I now take maintenance chemo to keep me in remission, and this could be for the remainder of my life,” she shared.

     Siebels thanked her husband Paul, children and grandchildren Darin, Nikki, Dane, Deakon and Kendall for keeping her going. She also thanked her friends. “I call them my angels with heart and soul,” she said.

     In concluding her speech, Siebels offered: “There are three keys things to survival: faith, family and friends.

     “For those who have battled and lot their fight, we will continue to fight for them. No one fights alone.”

     Prior to the survivor walk, all cancer survivors shared their name and how long they’ve been cancer-free or battling cancer.

     Mid-way through evening, at 7 p.m., members of the Monticello Fire Department, their spouses, and children took to the track. The MFD walked in honor of Fire Chief Don McCarthy and his family who is currently fighting Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. Several members and family members of the MFD have also fought cancer in the past.

     To end the somber evening, the names of those featured on luminary bags were read off as the bags were lit with candles and displayed in the shape of a cancer ribbon. Relayers took to the track one last time for a walk of silence.

     To volunteer or find out more about future RFL events, visit their Facebook page: “Relay For Life Of Jones County.”