Walworth County Relay for Life brings home coveted award from Wisconsin conference
By Kellen Olshefski
SLN Staff
For Relay For Life of Walworth County, what was a day of learning, inspiration and sharing ideas at the 2016 Wisconsin Relay For Life Leadership Conference ended with a big surprise: winning the Community of Hope award.
The annual award is given to an event that successfully implements mission-related activities in order to positively impact the cancer burden and increase American Cancer Society awareness in their community, and demonstrates that through leadership, initiative and creativity in programming.
Heidi Schulz, a cancer survivor and team captain of the Walworth County Cloggers Relay For Life team, said the Event Leadership Team of Walworth County set a goal at the beginning of the year to focus on the American Cancer Society mission.
She said they chose to focus on two key areas: promoting awareness of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and achieving ACS CAN CLUB recognition, and educating members about Hope Lodge and collecting needed items.
The minimum nationwide standards at the event level for CLUB recognition include designating a volunteer or staff member to track results and distribute CLUB materials and the recruitment of at least 40 American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network members at each event.
Events meeting the standards receive a banner to display at events and a sticker for each year they achieve the goals set by the program. Events that reach 100 members receive a certificate signed by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network President and event exceeding 200 members are acknowledged at the National Relay for Life leadership summit.
Schulz said to achieve CLUB status, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network staff and volunteers attended the Walworth County Relay kickoff last year, came to relay meetings to talk about the network and promoted it via Facebook. At last year’s relay, a spokesperson spoke during the opening ceremony, set up a table and visited each campsite.
As a result, Schulz said Relay for Life of Walworth County was able to sign up more than 40 members.
Hope Lodge
As for the needs drive for the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge in Marshfield, Schulz’s daughter, Katelyn Rosenow, is working with the help of Meghan Havill, staff specialist with the American Cancer Society’s Madison office.
Hope Lodge provides a free housing for adult cancer patients and their caregivers who travel to Marshfield for cancer treatment typically not available in their home communities.
Cancer patients at the non-medical facility receive support from professionals, families, friends and other cancer patients and a wide variety of cancer programs and services are available to help build moral during cancer treatments at the nearby Marshfield Clinic.
Rosenow, a sophomore at Delavan-Darien High School, reached out to Hope Lodge and after messaging and promotion of the lodge throughout the year at meetings and through social media, set up a needs drive for last year’s Relay for Life event.
The needs drive table included testimonials from guests, a needs list, facts and the number of nights provided to Walworth County residents at the lodge. Last year’s event even featured a “Hope” lap when teams could drop off items as they passed the table and the DJ read facts about the lodge.
This year will mark Rosenow’s seventh year participating in the Relay for Life team led by her mother and composed of friends and families of the Walworth County Cloggers.
Schulz said Rosenow has been an active member of Relay for Life of Walworth County’s Event Leadership Team since she was 11, has acted as a co-chair on the Luminaria and entertainment committees, and has also co-chaired the Entertainment and Activities Committee with Elkhorn sophomore Ryan Marks.
“Katelyn and Ryan have worked together to bring the fun to the event,” Schulz said. “She has attended Relay For Life leadership conferences for many years, but never had the surprise of walking to the stage to accept an award for the Walworth County Relay that she and so many others put so much time and hard work into planning.”
Rosenow said she will abe holding the Hope Lodge donation drive again this year at the July 15 Relay For Life of Walworth County event. Additionally, while American Cancer Society staff from the Madison office delivered donations to Hope Lodge last year, Rosenow hopes to visit Hope Lodge herself in the near future.
“The American Cancer Society helped my mom during her year of cancer treatment by providing many free programs and support services to help her,” Rosenow said during the Feb. 20 awards ceremony. “I want to continue giving back by making sure that others have the very same opportunity to have these programs.
“Cancer has touched all of our lives in some way and being a volunteer for the American Cancer Society has been a very rewarding way for me to help others, especially the patients in treatment for cancer, survivors and caregivers.”
Upcoming meetings and the annual event
Relay For Life of Walworth County will hold its next meeting at 6 p.m. on April 12 at the Town Bank Community Center, 820 Geneva St., in Delavan.
Those who would like to sign up for a team or to simply get more information are encouraged to attend the meeting.
This year’s annual Relay For Life of Walworth County will be kick off at 5 p.m. on July 15 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds, 411 E. Court St., in Elkhorn. All are welcome to attend and those interested do not have to join a team to participate. The event continues through the night into July 16.
“Please plan on joining us at the Relay For Life of Walworth County to celebrate, remember and fight back against cancer,” Schulz said.
