Again in 2015 Star Group Veterans Helping Veterans team led by SG-VHV Advisory Board Leader John Cook set out to help with both the Killeen and Copperas Cove Rely For Life Events. “When I first started out doing this, or should I say I was told I would be the SG-VHV team captain for Relay for Life, I figured out quickly that I didn’t know what I was doing,” said Cook, who is now on his fourth year. “I didn’t want to mess it up — this is for cancer awareness, to stamp out cancer. This is for the survivors.”
The goal set by Mr. Cook was $1500 for Killeen and $1000 for Copperas Cove. We exceeded both of those goals only to have Mr. Cook say is thinks he will increase the goal for 2016.
SG-VHV members were all over the track and won several of the door prizes. Mr. Cook …. Dressed in a Relay for Life Pom Pom won Most Money raised.
COPPERAS COVE
The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life committee kicked off an 18-hour walk to “Strike Out Cancer” on Saturday at the S.C. Lee Junior High stadium.
The Copperas Cove Goal was to raise $30,000 for the American Cancer Society and there as not doubt that it would be done. Twenty-one teams showed up to the event, with another three teams that raised money but were unable to attend, Ronda Dellere said. Many of those who attended the event were cancer survivors or their caregivers.
“We always know we can depend on so many people to support this event, because there are so many lives that have been affected by cancer,” said John Cook, team captain for the Star Group-Veterans Helping Veterans team. “It was easy for us to raise funds for this — every month at our meetings we’d get up and let everyone know how we stood toward reaching our goal for this walk and the one we’ll be doing in Killeen next month. We were able to raise a little over $1,000 for Cove and $1,500 for the Killeen event.”
Cook’s co-captain, SG-VHV member Joannie Shedrick, is no stranger to cancer and said she is a strong supporter of the Relay for Life events. “I’m a third generation to have cancer, but I’m not a third-generation survivor,” Shedrick said. “Unfortunately, my mother and my grandmother lost their battles with cancer. I had a long fight with breast and renal cancer myself, and I’m going to continue fighting until we don’t have to worry about this disease any longer.”
Shedrick joined Mayor John Hull, several of her teammates and dozens of others in walking the first lap, also known as the Survivor Lap.
KILLEEN
Families, friends and teams from the Killeen-Fort Hood area come together to honor cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost and fight against disease during the annual Relay for Life
Experience leader for this year’s Relay for Life event Sarah Phillips said more than 700 people registered to take part in the relay, and about 1,000 participated. From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., hundreds of survivors, caregivers and supporters, both individuals and teams, circled the track to honor those who have fought against cancer, those who have beaten the disease and those who are currently battling it.
“It’s celebrating that we’re still here, celebrating that we’re till able to fight cancer, celebrating life,” she said. “It’s amazing watching everybody come together for that.”
SG-VHV Relay for Life Team Captain - John Cook