Anna Monica / L’Observateur / May 5, 2000

Have you marked the date and set aside some time today for the annual Relay for Life event yet? Certainly, I dearly wish you have, because, as you know, I have special interest in this event which raises money for the American Cancer Society to do cancer research. I believe I have already told you that I am one of thespeakers for this St. John Parish event to be held at Joe Keller Stadium inReserve. That doesn’t mean much, but what the money raised will do forhelping find a cure for cancer is a matter of life and death for so many of us who are afflicted and that means everything! Recently, I told you about Laura, Bobbie and Vic Zadain who work hard to raise money for cancer awareness. And in the past, as well as more recently,I have spoken to two very ambitious young ladies who are determined to make a cancer cure a reality. They are Maria and Allison Hotard of Reserveand the girls are so committed they say that if they won the lottery and didn’t have to work otherwise, they would head the American Cancer Society themselves.

Besides being part of the committee for the Relay, Maria and Allison find plenty other ways to gather donations for the cause This year, they helped out the young ladies going to school dances with their hair and makeup and any donation was for the ACS cause. In addition, Allison is selling dog treatsmade with recipes from the Internet and Maria has been involved in several bake sales with her relay teams at work and in the parish.

But, that isn’t enough for the young Hotards. Family has to be involved andlast year family members raised $900 with the sale of homemade Italian fig cookies. Mom, Gerry, got her parents, Marie and Morris Landry involved aswell as sisters Jo Ann Bland, Marsha LeBlanc and Kat Bocz plus cousin Mary Rose Brown. They had so many orders, some had to be turned down. Theyalso made cookies again this year, on a smaller scale, with the additional help of Pye St. Pierre, Carolyn Weber and Celeste Poche.Those of you who attended this event last year may remember that the theme was “Follow the Yellow Brick Road for a Cure for Cancer.” Allison,Maria, Ronnie White, John Meyer, Sue Cancienne, Denise Nosacka, Claudette and Cliff Henry, Ryan Luminais and David Forth took the parts of the popular characters. Allison also won a prize for her skit where she impersonatedSaturday Night Live’s Mary Catherine Gallagher.

This year, with all those creative minds at work, there are probably going to be surprises in store but I have found out that the theme is “Around the World,” with different countries with their mythical gods and goddesses represented. Fittingly, the theme is “Cancer, Let’s Make it a Myth,” and whata wonderful thought.

Besides the volleyball tournament and hula-hoop activities, there will also be a kareoke contest, human checkers and a judging of the campsites put up by each relay team. If you need help to stay awake, there will be tae boexercise. My dearest hope is that there will be lots and lots of people there -and lots and lots of money made so the American Cancer Society can help lots and lots of us.

Anna Monica is a regular columnist for L’Observateur.

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