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Foothills cancer relay raises $130K

We on the Foothills Relay for Life have some fantastic news! Despite the obstacles due to the economy, we beat our 2007 total. Drum roll, please — we raised $130,246.90. That is an amazing amount considering the small size of La Cañada Flintridge and La Crescenta, where the majority of our support comes from.

In comments I made at our wrap-up party I thanked all of the committee personally for the wonderful friendships I have made through Relay. Specifically, I mentioned the teenagers who have stopped me at Relay and written to me since Relay who are inspired to continue their public service because of their experience with our Foothills Relay; I mentioned the lovely comments and e-mails I have received from survivors who thank our Relay for helping them feel supported and loved by the community; I mentioned that my husband is a hematologist-oncologist and that many times over the last 20+ years I have heard him tell cancer patients and their loved ones to hang in there — new drugs and new cures are introduced every year.

We are a part of that. The money we raised goes toward developing more cures and giving more people hope! That’s what it’s all about.

We had more teams than ever before.

Thank you to our returning teams for your continued and growing support. Thank you to our new teams who performed with great enthusiasm and success.

The top 10 teams in order of total money raised: Team Clean Sweep, J’s Maintenance, Linda Waldheim, captain, $23,841; Boca Knights, St. Francis High School, Eric Gleason, captain, $23,645; Lund Life Lights, Allen Lund Company, Nora Trueblood, captain, $14,733; Hillside School Team, Cynthia Doster, captain, $8,127; La Cañada HS Cancer Killers, Dylan Crane, captain, $6,182; Team Karen, Crescenta Valley Insurance, Holly Heurkins, captain, $4,944; Lincoln Lions, Lincoln Elementary, Ronnie Tucker, captain, $4,862; LCPC Halos, Jenna Olson, captain, $4,832; CV High School, Harrison Tate, captain, $4,376; Midnight Magic, Lisa Dutton, captain, $4,080.

The top 10 individual fund raisers for 2008: Ed Waldheim, $11,067; Harrison Tate, $4,039; Regan Boone, $2,229; Amanda Granier, $1,645; Carmen Martinez, $1,599; Laura Thornbury, $1,560; Cynthia Doster, $1,555; Chris Waldheim, $1,540; Dylan Crane, $1,485; Sandra Semrod, $1,460.

Best wishes to all and thank you to everyone who contributed so selflessly to make our 2008 Foothills Relay for Life a great success.

— Loretta Savery, Chair. 2008 Foothills Relay for Life