PRINCEVILLE — By the time the money’s all counted, the inaugural American Cancer Society Relay For Life of North Shore 2009 will have reached three important milestones, volunteers and staff organizers said. The goal was to get 50 cancer survivors
PRINCEVILLE — By the time the money’s all counted, the inaugural American Cancer Society Relay For Life of North Shore 2009 will have reached three important milestones, volunteers and staff organizers said.
The goal was to get 50 cancer survivors to the event at Waioli Park in Hanalei in late June; 76 showed up.
The goal was to get 25 teams (churches, youth groups, family groups, etc.); there were 25 teams.
The goal was to raise $50,000 for ACS research, advocacy, outreach, education and support programs; that goal will be surpassed with the receipt of one more expected large donation, said Frani Forde-Denny, who co-chaired the inaugural event with breast-cancer survivor Sandy Diego.
They had so much fun, they agreed to be co-chairs of the 2010 Relay For Life of North Shore, set for June 12-13, again tentatively to take place at Waioli Park, they said Tuesday night at the Relay mahalo party at the Princeville Community Center.
The Chemo Queens team, veteran Relayers who got their name from Dr. Neal Sutherland because many of them are cancer-care nurses at Wilcox Memorial Hospital and Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, raised the most money among teams at the North Shore Relay, $5,141, followed by the Kapa‘a All Saints Episcopal Church Angels, with $3,966.16, Forde-Denny reported at the party before some 20 people including team captains, team members, volunteers and ACS staff.
The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villa team, which at Relay offered massages for donations by the minute on its signature “Heavenly Bed” featured in its guest rooms, raised $3,250, while Light of Hope came in with $3,005.00, followed by Diego’s Posse (Sandy Diego’s family team) with $2,630.78.
Brenda Wright-Blaise of Jojo’s Shave Ice came all the way from Waimea to Hanalei to Relay, sold her signature shave ice at the event, and raised $1,500, leading the way among individual fundraisers.
She was followed by Jackie Inanod ($1,250.41) and Pualani Victorino ($950.00), both of the Brothers and Sisters of Ho‘omalie team, Lu Sass with $900, and Mickey McMillian of the Chemo Queens with $860.
The 2010 Relay For Life Hanapepe is scheduled for April 24-25.
The next major ACS fundraiser is Hoedown For Hope, scheduled for Oct. 3 at Kilohana in Puhi.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com
