June 1, 2008

Willow Glen Relay for Life

Good things just keep coming

By Carol Rosen
Editor

Willow Glen’s eighth annual Relay For Life started big and grew even bigger.

The 2008 event far surpassed last year totals with 55 teams, up from 40 in 2007, more than 800 participants and more than 130 survivors, compared with 90 last year, despite walking and working in the 100-degree heat. While the financial totals were not complete at press time, they appeared to be climbing above last year’s total of $185,000.

District 6 Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio (second from left) spoke at the Relay opening ceremony. Just like last year he accompanied his father Italio Oliverio, a cancer survivor, on the first lap. Photo courtesy of Rob Rodriguez

The crew of women, Sherry Rodriguez, Debbie Evans, Pam Green and Georgia Ladd, who have been on the Relay committee for the last seven years also were working this year; Rodriguez and Evens on survivors and Greene and Ladd on the food committee. Mary Keenan served as event chair for the second year.

But there were other new things at this year’s Relay. Nearly 100 stuffed animals were carried for several laps around the Willow Glen High School track and then placed into large purple barrels to be donated to children and adults who are fighting the disease and unable to make it to the Relay. The containers for the animals were constantly being emptied and refilled.

Four women donated eight inches of their hear to Pantene Beautiful Lengths to help those women who are losing their hair undergoing chemotherapy. And, Bobby Goodley Espinosa, whose hair wasn’t long enough to donate, had his head shaved to raise funds for Relay.

A team from Willow Glen High School, the Asian Walkers, rescued a woman whose car broke down on her way home from her mother’s funeral. The team pushed the car from Cherry to Hicks so the woman could get home.

One of the more remarkable events happened just after the start of the lumineria; the sprinklers went off at the Willow Glen track and field. Only one tent was doused and had to be removed, though, and smart thinkers threw trash barrels over the sprinklers until they could figure out how to turn them off.

Three generations of the Ravizza family came out to help fight cancer at the behest of a child who lost her father earlier this year. She encouraged her mom to put together a team and sign up for the Relay to honor Paul Ravizza, who died at 37.

The San Jose Construction team brought in more than $30,000. The team relayed in honor of Pat DiManto who passed away in 2006 and for co-worker Joanne Tucker, a survivor who currently is on her “second opportunity to fight the disease.”

Law firm Berliner-Cohen’s Team Berliner members all bought necklaces for $3 and marked each one-quarter mile lap with a specific bead from the necklace and each four laps (one mile) with a bigger bead. At the end of the Relay, they tallied up their beads and found members had a combined total of more than 240 miles. One of the firm’s semi-retired partners, who already had donated $100, brought in a $500 check from his family’s foundation to honor the team’s walk.

Survivors also had a special day. They were treated to lunch and received a bag containing a survivor T-shirt and medal—which allowed them to write the number of years they have survived—a packet of forget-me-nots, a horseshoe donated by the San Jose Police Department’s Mounted Division that was cleaned, painted purple and contained a picture of the survivor, as well as “Celebrate”, “Remember” and “Fight back” candles and a “Hope” rock.

Also in the bag was a special magnet that read—What cancer can’t do, which listed invade the soul, suppress memories, kill friendships, destroy peace, conquer the spirit, shatter hope, cripple love, corrode faith, steal eternal life and silence courage.”