American Cancer Society

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The American Cancer Society's Mid-South Division recently named Jackie White of Lancaster a “Hero of Hope.” White is one of 17 cancer survivors and caregivers from the Mid-South states of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee to be recognized. The Heroes of Hope program is in its fifth year. Honorees will serve as spokespeople for the American Cancer Society in their communities. Those selected have triumphed over cancer or cared for loved ones, made significant volunteer contributions to the American Cancer Society, and made an impact in the lives of others.

HARRODSBURG - The streets here will be crawling with superheroes Friday during The Arts Council of Mercer County's Superhero Crawl. This is the second year for a summer crawl, a performance art event hosted by the arts council. Last year's Zombie Crawl was well attended with 210 showing up for the event, according to Joy Mosko, founder of the arts council. “It was a huge hit last year,” Mosko noted. “We're hoping for more people this year. We were pleasantly surprised by the turnout last year.” This year, the donations made to the free event will go to the American Cancer Society.

Road to Recovery, an American Cancer Society service program that provides transportation for cancer patients to their treatments and home again, is currently seeking volunteer drivers. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver can contact Michele at the local American Cancer Society office by calling 260-8281 or 1-800-ACS-2345 to receive an application. The local American Cancer Society office provides a simple training program and the opportunity to meet with fellow volunteers throughout the year.

Winchester City Commissioner JoEllen Reed tries to pick her choice of second- and third- place chilis during the third annual President's Day Chili Cookoff fundraiser for the American Cancer Society at Palmer Engineering on Monday. Mayor Ed Burtner contemplates a score for one of the eight different chili entries in the contest. The chili named John F. Kennedy, created by Janet Woods, placed first, Ronald Reagan by Jeff Rose placed second, and George Washington by Chris Mischel placed third.

Forty participants competed in the Relay for Life Cornhole Tournament and cookout Tuesday at Palmer Engineering, raising $500 for the American Cancer Society. The team of Ralph Schuler and Dennis Wallace won first place. The second-place team was Jeff Rose and Robert Oney. The Relay for Life is June 8.

HOMER LEDFORD TRIBUTE Many fans of bluegrass musician Homer Ledford gathered in his memory this Saturday to raise money for an ongoing concert series. Winchester First received accreditation again this year, and Relay for Life Director Lynsey Witt answers questions about the the American Cancer Society's annual relay. For more, see today's Sun.

The American Cancer Society recognized Bridgette Lynn and Mae Renner with the 2007 Community Volunteer of the Year award. The honor is bestowed on volunteers who exemplify strong leadership in their community. Bridgette was selected as the recipient of this award in recognition of her volunteer role as team development and recruitment chair. She strives to increase teams each year to ensure that Lincoln County Relay For Life is a success. Mae was the recipient of this award in recognition of her leadership in Lincoln County.

When a woman is diagnosed with cancer, the physical and emotional effects of the disease can be overwhelming. In an effort to help women cope with their worries about hair loss and changes in skin complexion, he American Cancer Society offers the Look Good... Feel Better program. The program teaches ways to enhance appearance during cancer treatment. Look Good... Feel Better will be held in Danville at the Commonwealth Cancer Center at 10 a.m. Monday, March 13. Registration is currently under way and ends on March 3. There is no cost to attend the session.

A free health fair was offered to all county employees Thursday afternoon, sponsored by Edwards Insurance Benefits LLC, the county health care provider. The screening was being performed by Rebecca Dailey, left, and Beverly Pelfrey of Clark Regional Medical Center. The clinic was open to all employees of the county. Other participants of the fair included the Clark County Health Department, Corner Drug Pharmacy, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and Humana Insurance.

The Boyle County Relay for Life will hold its official kickoff meeting 6 p.m. Thursday at SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Main Street. Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society's team event to fight cancer and is the largest cancer fund-raiser in the nation. It was held in more than 3,300 communities nationwide last year. The public may participate in the Relay June 18 by having a team, becoming a sponsor or volunteering to help the committee plan the event itself. "We're excited about our plans for 2004 and look forward to having new teams and participants join us," said Debbie Lowe, Boyle County event co-chair.

STANFORD - There were no people declared “cancer free” on the streets of downtown Stanford Saturday morning, nor were there any cures discovered  for the disease, but over 100 runners and walkers did take steps to help in fighting the disease by participating in the American Cancer Society Race for a Cure 5K/3K Run Walk. The 5K runners and 3K walkers left the starting line at the corner of Mill Street and Main Street amidst the applause and cheers of onlookers, heading along West Main to Danville Avenue and a winding route that stretched into the back streets of Stanford before ending back on East Main.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The American Cancer Society's Mid-South Division recently named Jackie White of Lancaster a “Hero of Hope.” White is one of 17 cancer survivors and caregivers from the Mid-South states of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee to be recognized. The Heroes of Hope program is in its fifth year. Honorees will serve as spokespeople for the American Cancer Society in their communities. Those selected have triumphed over cancer or cared for loved ones, made significant volunteer contributions to the American Cancer Society, and made an impact in the lives of others.

The Great American Smokeout  is a national cessation day held every year by the American Cancer Society, and 2012 marks its 37th year. The day is selected to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco. Tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of disease and premature death, according to the American Cancer Society. Ahead of the annual drive, Clark Regional Medical Center implemented a tobacco-free policy on March 30, according to a hospital press release. The move not only prevents smoking, but use of all tobacco products at all Clark Regional facilities.

When Liz Burchett discovered she had a brain tumor, she determined to fight it.  “It became my personal fight, I didn't want cancer to define me,” she said.  The baseball-sized tumor was discovered in 2010. Burchett had been experiencing severe headaches and seizures. After several tests, doctors had her come in for an MRI and that's when they located the tumor. “Within 30 minutes, (my doctor) had already scheduled the doctor's appointment and surgeon,” she said.  When the tumor was first discovered, she had just graduated from college and was expected to begin student teaching the next day, so she was without insurance and worried about how to pay for what was going to be an expensive round of tests and surgeries.  “The nurse told me, 'just step back and see what God can do,' and within two days, people had donated enough money to pay for my surgery,” Burchett said.  Ultimately, doctors were able to remove only 80 percent of the tumor, because the remaining 3.5 centimeter mass was too deeply embedded in the area of her brain that controls language and speech.

The American Cancer Society estimates there are more than 2.9 million women living in the U.S. with a history of invasive breast cancer. Stacy Pingleton is one of those women.  Pingleton has a long family history of breast cancer. Her grandmother and at least five of her great-aunts all have been diagnosed with breast cancer. For this reason, she, her sisters and her cousins always have been “on high alert for that type of thing,” she said. “After my grandmother, I was the first one in my family (to be diagnosed)

More than 25 Jessamine County residents have signed up for an opportunity to participate in an upcoming historic study that has the potential to change the face of cancer for future generations. And now, one week away from the event, others are urged to sign up today to take part in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3) so that cancer's greatest mysteries can be unlocked. Men and women between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are needed to participate in CPS-3 in Nicholasville.

The Clark County Relay for Life celebrated its 16th year with 30 teams and an all-night party at George Rogers Clark High School. The 2012 theme was “Happy Birthday, Sweet 16,” an extension of the American Cancer Society's “More Birthdays for More People” slogan. Relay committee co-chair Jane Hines said she expected Relay to meet its $64,000 goal, with $48,000 raised as of press time. “It looks pretty good right now,” Hines said during the Relay event. Teams continue fundraisers throughout the evening at Relay, selling food and other items to earn money for the American Cancer Society.

A fairy tale is a children's story depicting magical creatures, heroes, triumph and happy endings. There are a lot of fairy tale stories in real life, too - not with magical creatures but with their own heroes, triumphs and happy endings. During the 2012 Lincoln County Relay for Life Friday night, 71 happy endings were revealed, with 70 survivors or “heroes” on hand to celebrate another year of triumph over cancer. Another happy ending came when the local Relay for Life committee announced it had surpassed its fund-raising goal for the American Cancer Society (ACS)

STANFORD - This year's annual Lincoln County Relay for Life will feature a well-known Kentucky media figure as one of the speakers. WKYT anchorman Sam Dick will be heading to Lincoln County right after he finishes his evening news broadcast for Lexington's CBS affiliate, Relay for Life organizer Mae Renner said. He is expected to speak about his experience as a survivor of prostate cancer at about 7:45 p.m. Dick has gone on to have success as a runner following surgery to remove his prostate and the cancer inside it in 2010.

There will be a meeting for Relay for Life participants at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at the Clark County Public Library. Relay for Life will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, June 15 at the George Rogers Clark High School track. Register to participate by Thursday to receive a T-shirt. The goal of Relay for Life is to raise money for the American Cancer Society, and to create more birthdays by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures and fighting back against cancer. Those interested can register online at www.relayforlife.org/clarkky.