June 1, 2005

Willow Glen, Cancer Society raise funds, fight disease at fifth annual Relay For Life

By Carol Rosen
Editor

Someone upstairs likes Willow Glen’s Relay For Life because every year no matter what the weather has been like up to the Relay, the sun shines and it’s not too hot or too cold or raining at the Relay.

Teams join the survivors for the first lap.

This year was no exception. While the first part of May was wet and cold, the weekend of the Relay, the sun came out with all the survivors and the teams.

The opening ceremony brought back some old faces and brought out some new ones. District 6 City Councilmember Ken Yeager greeted guests, while Georgia Ladd, who started the Relay in Willow Glen, took a bow for making the ceremony what it was. The Relay committee was introduced as well as cancer survivor and speaker Holly Kurzman.

Just before the opening ceremony ended, she noted that “There is no finish line until there is a cure.”

Then it was time for the survivor lap. Every year, the number of people taking the first lap seems to grow and this year was also no exception. That lap was followed by the entire group walking and it too was a great sight to see.

After that things settled down to a dull roar. Some interesting early sights included a small child named Ty Goldsbury, wearing a T-shirt that announced his mother had survived cancer. Amy Goldsbury, who is 31, led her team, the Semi-colons around the track.

Another of the 33 teams has participated for the last four years, some since they were in seventh grade. The All Stars is a group of Willow Glen High School students who all have been touched by cancer in one way or another. Anthony Rodriguez, whose mom Sherry has been on the Relay committee for the past five years, helped organize the team that included sophomores Amelia Zahra, Kathryn Cremer, Kate Zylka, Emily Mello, Rebekah Cremer, Grant Morrow, Chad Camp and Robbie Paine.

Nine of the 11 members of Willow Glen High’s All Star team includes, front row, from left, Amelia Zahra, Kathryn Cremer, Kate Zylka, Emily Mello and Rebekah Cremer. Back row, from left, Anthony Rodriguez, Grant Morrow, Chad Camp and Robbie Paine. The students raised $4,000.

This year’s committee included Linda Baxter as event chair. It’s her first Relay. Debbie Evans, Pam Greene and Sherry Rodriguez returned for their fifth years on the committee while John Mclaughlin returned for the fifth year as master of ceremonies. Other members included Ladd, Laura Reichle, Nancy Doudell, Kathleen Pizzo, Daniel Smith, Trenton Turner and Elizabeth Vargas.

Sponsors included KTVU, KICU, BFI Business Finance, O’Conner Hospital, Bad Boys Bail Bonds and Synopsys. Other sponsors were Scientific Instrument Company, The Coffee Cantata, Carlton Plaza of San Jose, Lima Family Memorial Chapel, South Bay Materials, ARC Gas, Noah’s Bagels, Insulspace, Airdome Orchards, Gailli Produce and Eddeco. A number of other sponsors also provided entertainment and silent auction items.

The closing ceremony was just as heart-rending. With about 150 people left, everyone walked one last lap with a balloon. “At the same time, we all sent messages to heaven. It was a very moving time and there was not a dry eye around,” said Anthony Rodriguez.

At closing, the Relay had collected a $52,000 and was still counting. Money is expected to continue to come in through the summer and into September. Last year, the Relay collected $70,000, this year’s committee hopes to bring in $80,000.