Blue Ribbon Classic Chevy Club
We belong to the Blue Ribbon Classic Chevy Car Club. Our car club is involved in community events. We help put on the Autorama every September. We have a stretch of highway that we clean as part of the Adopt a Highway program. This summer our club sponsored a team for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in Janesville, WI at the Rock County Fair Grounds on August 1st and 2nd.
Our team of 9 members had a person walking the track for the entire event! We had fun raising money for the American Cancer Society. In case you were wondering why a car club would sponsor a team for the Relay For Life, here is our response that was written before the Relay For Life event!
The Blue Ribbon Classic Chevy Car Club is a club that cares about more than just their cars! We have a common bond of enjoying old cars, but our caring goes much deeper than that. The last few years we have been significantly affected by cancer within our club. Club members of all ages as well as their family members and friends have been affected by cancer.
If “cancer” was a problem with one of our old cars the club members would work together to help solve the problem. They would bring their knowledge, their talents, and their tools and try to find the cause and cure the problem. If they still were unable to solve the problem they would brainstorm who else might be able to help in solving the problem. Unfortunately solving the problem of cancer is not a simple one. We knew as a club that we could not solve this on our own so we decided to join forces with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. We will use our knowledge and talents to help raise funds for the American Cancer Society, an organization that has been helping people whose lives have been affected by cancer! We will be relaying in memory of Carl Payne (one of the earliest members of the Blue Ribbon Classic Chevy Car Club) and in memory of family members and friends of club members. We will be relaying in honor of the cancer survivors in our club: Robin Nelson, Brian ReeceII, and Gene Brockner.
Our Team
The first lap of the event is walked by the cancer survivors! Then each survivor was given a purple balloon. Gene Brockner, Anne Marie's father is holding his balloon prior to them being released by all survivors!
The second lap is for those who helped care for someone with cancer.
If there is a cancer survivor, they can walk with the care givers!
Throughout the night there were different themes for the hour. One theme was to dress as a cartoon character! Garrett and Austin wore Garrett and Lance's favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes from 1991! Now Garrett is off the hook, he won't have to wear that costume when he gets married after all! This was the promise they made to their grandma after she spent many hours making the suits! Don't worry Lance, mom is keeping that turtle shell, head and hands safe for your wedding day! Grandma said if you are really set on having the feet she will make them for you!
At 10:00 the lights were shut off and the luminaries were lit! Luminaries could be purchased in honor or in memory of someone who has battled cancer. All of the names were read! I, Anne Marie Reece was honored to be one of the readers. As I was reading the names of people that luminaries had been purchased for a flash of light caught my eye. As I looked out at the track that was lighted only by candle light I saw someone making their way around the track with a walker. At this point, I realized that nothing can stop someone from participating in this event!
Janesville
Relay For Life