HANAPEPE — One man. One track. One goal. In 1985, an American Cancer Society volunteer, Dr. Gordy Klatt, put on his jogging gear and headed for the local oval after his good friend succumbed to cancer. Twentyfour hours and 81
HANAPEPE — One man.
One track.
One goal.
In 1985, an American Cancer Society volunteer, Dr. Gordy Klatt, put on his jogging gear and headed for the local oval after his good friend succumbed to cancer.
Twentyfour hours and 81 miles later, Klatt had raised $27,000 in sponsored donations to the American Cancer Society.
Saturday night, Kaua‘i became one of 3,000 locations across the United States were volunteers put forth their efforts at combating cancer by participating in a Relay For Life event at Hanapepe Stadium that started at 6 p.m. with the traditional Cancer Survivors’ Walk.
Klatt’s jog 20 years ago started it all.
“Five years,” Cathy Agoot’s sister in law said. “It’s been five years since my bout (with cancer), and I have come every year since.”
This year, Agoot was thrilled to introduce her sister-in-law, who had never been to a Relay For Life, and after experiencing the surge of emotion during the opening walk, is already committed to coming to future relays.
A walker from the West Kauai Hongwanji said she, too, was a survivor, and has come every year except the year she was recovering. “When you are out there walking with other survivors, you cannot help yourself, and the tears start coming.”
Since the 1985 event with Klatt, the Relay For Life has developed into the world’s largest fund-raising event. From July 2000 to June 2001, the Relay For Life raised over $212 million for the American Cancer Society’s research and prevention programs.
The HMSA (Hawaii Medical Service Association) “camp,” designated by signs as being a corporate sponsor as well as a Silver Sponsor, had a sign that showed the group raised over $5,000.
Volunteers at the Hanapepe Stadium site were also collecting stories and requests, which will be forwarded to legislators, encouraging the federal law-makers to support legislation which will aid the fight against cancer.
Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste, rounding out a full day of appearances, stopped by to add his support to those whose stories of relatives poured onto the pages of requests asking for legislators’ support.
The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is an overnight, team event to help raise funds for cancer research, and the many Kaua‘i groups that converged at Hanapepe Stadium spent hours for the past few months hosting fund-raising events to help bolster the coffers of cancer research.
But, despite the event taking place, fund-raising efforts did not diminish, as many “camps” hosted ongoing fund-raising efforts with bake sales, “cooking for a cure” stations offering saimin, novelties, meals, snacks, fashion accessories, and even a lucky-number drawing for a basket containing an overnight stay surrounded by other creature comforts as its premium.
Girl Scouts, 4Hers, church clubs, government workers, medical workers, and more all came together in teams of at least 10 or more participants to keep the “baton” moving over-night.
Tiana Tacub Guillermo, a student at King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School, is battling cancer that, for a short while, was in remission, and her friends, Dominique Pascua, McKenna Pascua, Jordyn Zeffiro, and Kiana Pascua, all title holders of beauty pageants, helped carry a banner calling attention to the youngster’s ongoing battle.
Kaua‘i High School baseball coach Aaron Uyeda had just come from coaching a double-header game to join in the walk with his wife Lori and her Wilcox Memorial Hospital team, as did his competitor, Kapa‘a High School coach Jon Blaylock.
The Motiv-8 soccer team occupied one tent close to the stage that had the mellow sounds of Dickie Hamada and the Starlighters keeping the walkers on their toes, and off to another area, close to the County of Kaua‘i tent, the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Air Control Squadron tent sprouted up close to where luminaria of their honorees were posted in a giant circle.
“We need to show that we’re part of the community, too. We’re not just the military,” one of the walkers said.
“You might not know anyone who has been affected by cancer,” one volunteer said. “But, there is someone who has cancer that knows who you are.”
- Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
