Relay for Life 2003 . . . $85,610!
Annual event helps patients heal
By SALLY ELLERTSON
Burleson Star Editor
Members of 64 teams, those who chose to honor survivors and non-survivors
with luminaries, and those who donated money to the cause, raised
$85,610 in the second annual American Cancer Society Relay for
Life of Burleson.
And the money is still rolling in.
"We raised more than $85,000," Relay Chairman Elizabeth
Kirkpatrick said. "Other cities larger than us don't do that.
That's a testament to what this city is and what this community
is all about."
The $85,000 plus raised in 2003 is $30,000 more than was raised
last year, by less than 40 teams, in the inaugural year for the
Burleson Relay.
It was almost a washout. Meteorologists had predicted severe
thunderstorms throughout the day and night. But, by noon those
storms had shifted east of I-35 leaving Burleson with sunny, 90
degree temperatures at the kickoff.
"I had told all 64 teams to pray for clear skies, and that
is exactly what we had!" Kirkpatrick said. "I couldn't
believe it!"
Those who participated May 16-17 had fun raising money at the
12-hour walking relay. Team members walked or ran around the track
from 7 pm. to 7 a.m. Approximately 45 of the 64 teams had fundraisers
at their campsites, set up around the track at the stadium at
Kerr Middle School.
"The biggest draw was the 'Bustin' Cancer With Bingo' team
who, by 6 a.m., had turned in over $950 that was raised just since
8 p.m. the night before," Kirkpatrick said.
The group that served potato salad, baked beans, and barbecue
to team members raised more than $4,000 in donations May 16.
The night was kicked off with a survivor ceremony and survivor
lap at 7 p.m. Oncologist UnaMarie Clibon spoke during the survivor
ceremony.
"The commitment of this group reflects the commitment of
a cancer patient to survive and live with cancer," Clibon
said. "No one is prepared ahead of time to deal with this
diagnosis and to continue living. It is not an easy task, but
it is accomplished by many. The energy generated at an event like
this not only raises money for cancer research and cancer programs,
but it helps to heal cancer patients because of the good will,
joy, hope, and strength."
Burleson resident Earla Houser, who is principal at Oakmont Elementary
School in the Crowley Independent School District, spoke as a
survivor during the luminary ceremony.
"I was turned inside out and upside down by cancer, but
God smiled on my life," Houser said. "Two-and-a-half
years ago, I found a lump in my breast, and my life changed. After
three surgeries, a lumpectomy, a mastectomy with reconstruction,
a year of chemotherapy, and six weeks of daily radiation, I'm
here today. Attitude makes a great deal of difference in surviving
breast cancer. I decided that cancer was not going to be my life.
Cancer was going to be my temporary bump in the road. Sometimes
that bump in the road looked more like a mountain, but I went
through it as if it were a bump in the road."
In addition to her parents, three sisters, two children, and
the staff at Oakmont Elementary, Houser had her husband, Richard
Lowe, at her side.
"One person whom I have never had the opportunity to personally
thank for being with me, being my sidekick, being with me every
step of the way while I was going through my cancer, is my husband
Richard," Houser said, as she brought him up on stage and
presented him with a rose. "He has been my hero. His first
wife died of cancer nine years ago. Richard said his fear was
that he would fall in love with someone and that person would
be diagnosed with cancer. I said, 'not to worry . . . I'm as healthy
as a horse.' It wasn't two or three months before I was diagnosed
with cancer. Richard was with me when I was diagnosed, for every
doctor's appointment, and for every treatment. When I was bald,
no eyebrows, and no eyelashes, Richard chose to marry me. He has
shown unconditional love, and he has been with me every step of
the way."
More than 160 cancer survivors participated in the survivor celebration
and walked the survivor lap. More were honored with 650 plus luminaries
that lined the track. Many of those same names were displayed
during a PowerPoint presentation on a wide screen at the stage
during the Ceremony of Hope. Sonrise Quartet and the Snowberry
School for Girls sang during the ceremony.
Luminaries were used to spell out "H-O-P-E" in the
stands.
"That took everyone by surprise when the house lights went
out," committee member Pearline Sickler said. "A feeling
of awe was felt throughout the crowd."
Survivors wore purple t-shirts.
"Seeing all the purple 'survivor' shirts gave me a feeling
of solemn gratitude for the gift of life," Sickler said.
Kirkpatrick said everyone who was involved "has cancer issues
in our lives. This money goes to help a lot of things," Kirkpatrick
said. "There is so much research done. Our staff person from
the American Cancer Society wouldn't be here if it wasn't for
research done in the last 10 years through events like this. We
reach out to people through advocacy. (The money) is used for
education and early detection."
Kirkpatrick has been the chairman for the first two years.
"I will continue to be part of Relay for Life because I
know that the dollars raised stay in my community to help those
who need it," Kirkpatrick said. "I believe that what
the American Cancer Society is doing is a great thing. Someday,
I will know that I played a part in finding the cure for cancer."
Cathy Smith will take over the chairmanship in 2004.
"Once again, we asked the Burleson community to 'take up
the fight,' and they did," Smith said. "We can, with
the monies raised, make a difference and help to find the cure.
See you at Relay for Life 2004!"
A wrap-up party for the 2003 Relay for Life is slated for June
20. The site and time will be announced later.
Click on the links below for more Burleson news
City and county leaders will negotiate ambulance contract
BHS names top graduates for 2003
Committee has 45 days to negotiate a contract with CareFlight
By PAUL GNADT
Star Group Staff Writer
It's about response time.
County commissioners and representatives of city councils from
seven Johnson County communities agreed Thursday night to form
a committee that will complete discussions about a contract for
ambulance service within 45 days, including negotiations about
how much time it should take for an ambulance to reach the distant
rural areas of the county.
In a specially called Commissioners Court and joint meeting of
the city councils of Johnson County at the Cleburne Civic Center,
County Judge Roger Harmon asked that each city council appoint
two representatives to a committee that will meet with officials
from CareFlite to finalize details for that company to provide
emergency and non-emergency air and ground medical service and
transport for Johnson County.
"I'd like to get this done as quickly as possible,"
Harmon said. "I think most of our cities know the response
time they want and that will be a critical part of the negotiations."
About 85 people attended the meeting, including members of the
city councils of Alvarado, Cleburne, Grandview, Joshua, Keene,
Rio Vista, and Venus. Only Cleburne and Joshua had a quorum. Community
leaders from Briaroaks, Chapel Hill, and Bono were also present.
The purpose of the meeting was to determine what emergency medical
service provider will replace American Medical Response when it
ceases serving the rural areas of the county on Oct. 1. AMR also
provided backup service to the four cities with ambulance service:
Cleburne, Grandview, Joshua, and Keene. Residents inside the Burleson
city limits are served by MedStar. AMR serves residents in rural
Burleson.
In January, AMR asked for a $400,000 subsidy to continue its
operation. When the Commissioners Court voted to seek bids from
other providers, CareFlite and East Texas Medical Services responded,
but AMR's bid was not received within the specified dates, and
they are not under consideration to continue serving the county.
In a 20-minute Power Point presentation, Mark Kessler, CareFlite
director of ground services, proposed two scenarios for service.
In Scenario 1, Kessler said CareFlite would provide service to
the entire county, including Cleburne, with three ambulances 24-hours
a day for seven days a week, and two ambulances for 12 peak response
hours a day, seven days a week.
He said Cleburne, Joshua, and Keene could be used for "backup"
9-1-1 services only, in the event all five CF ambulances are busy.
"Considering the entire volume of the county, it is possible
to provide this service with little or no subsidy depending on
response time parameters and other obligations that are put in
the contract," Kessler said.
He said Scenario 1 assumes that all transports in the county
are completed by CareFlite, and that current ambulance service
would be utilized as first response and backup in the event of
disaster or if CareFlite is unavailable.
Kessler said the cost for Scenario 1 will be $30,000 for the
first year, and $20,000 each for the next two years. Kessler told
the Commissioners on May 5 that he wanted a three-year contract.
In Scenario 2, Kessler said CareFlite would provide the same
level of ambulance service as Scenario 1, with units positioned
according to volume and response time parameters. He said all
calls would be transferred to CF communications for pre-arrival
instructions.
"Scenario 2 assumes that at least two other cities, such
as Cleburne and Keene, will operate ambulances in some capacity,"
Kessler said. "We will support volunteer and first responder
agencies as much as possible."
Kessler said the subsidy for Scenario 2 is $75,000 for the first
year, $65,000 for the second year, and $60 for the third year.
"The subsidy will decrease because the volume and revenue
will increase," Kessler said.
According to Kessler, CareFlite will probably put two ambulances
in Cleburne and position the others based on response time.
"Our quandary is where do we put the units in order to respond
in a rapid time," he said. We've looked at Cleburne and Alvarado
because of the paths of ingress and egress. We can do a response
time of 8 minutes, 59 seconds in Cleburne, but even 15 minutes
is a stretch in this county. There are some areas where response
time could be 20 minutes."
The 45-day deadline was arrived at by working backwards from
the time Kessler said he would need to be ready to take over service
on Oct. 1
"We're hoping to have 60-90 days to purchase ambulances
and other equipment and hire personnel," Kessler said.
In his opening remarks, Kessler said that North Central Texas
Services, doing business as CareFlite, is a nonprofit company
that serves 100 counties within a 150-mile radius of the Metroplex.
He said the company started 24 years ago with one helicopter.
Today, CF has five medical helicopters, one fixed-wing aircraft,
18 ambulances, and four wheelchair vans.
He said CF is sponsored by Texas Health Resources, Baylor Health
Care System, and Methodist Hospitals of Dallas. The company currently
employs 30 EMTs, 54 paramedics, 26 nurses, 15 communications specialists,
26 pilots, and 15 administrative and support personnel.
Picking the top graduate was a squeaker
By SALLY ELLERTSON
Burleson Star Editor
Ten thousandths of a point separate the valedictorian and salutatorian
for the Burleson High School Class of 2003.
Eighteen-year-old Jeff Lyons, son of David Lyons and Linda Terry,
earned the top spot in his class with a 4.432203 grade point average.
Eighteen-year-old Joey Spellman, son of Dr. Craig Spellman, earned
salutatorian with a 4.432142 GPA, and 17-year-old Kristi Pogue,
daughter of John Pogue and Susan Pogue, earned historian with
a GPA of 4.354838.
The valedictorian plans to attend Baylor University to major
in mathematics or physics, "although I am still uncertain.
Right now I just enjoy each subject and would like to learn more
about them."
In addition to hitting the books, Lyons was fundraising chairman
for the student council and was a member of the National Honor
Society, Academic Decathlon, UIL Academics, and X-Ray. He played
tennis his freshman, sophomore, and junior years on both the junior
varsity and varsity teams. He is also a former member of the French
Club and Art Club.
"In tennis, we won district a few times and in numerous
tournaments I have placed and received trophies," Lyons said
of his accomplishments. "In Academic Decathlon, I received
a medal for my essay at competition and also for having the highest
team score. In the UIL area, I have been to regionals for computer
science and math."
He credits his teachers with his success.
"I couldn't have reached the point I am at without the support
and influence of my teachers," Lyons said. "Choosing
one would be impossible. That's why I would like to say thanks
to all my teachers for everything they have done for me."
He credits his parents as well.
"My parents have always appreciated and supported me through
the good times and bad, and although I haven't needed it too much,
they have been there to steer me in the right direction,"
Lyons said.
Lyons is a Burleson native. He is one of five children, who include
16-year-old Kim Lyons who is a sophomore, 17-year-old Nick Pallett
who is a senior, 20-year-old Steph Terry who is a college sophomore,
and 16-year-old James Terry who is a freshman.
"My advice is to try your best throughout high school in
every class," Lyons said. "But, don't push yourself
to the burnout point."
As salutatorian, Spellman will be giving the prayer and a speech
at graduation June 3 at Texas Christian University's Daniel Meyer
Coliseum in Fort Worth.
Spellman was born in Albuquerque, N.M., and went to Arlington
schools before moving to Burleson when he was in the fourth grade.
His next step will be TCU, where his 20-year-old brother Cort
is a junior, but the salutatorian is undecided on his major.
"Later in life, I would like to coach soccer because I enjoy
being around the game," Spellman said.
The salutatorian was in the National Honor Society, cross country,
and soccer for three years, and track and Spanish Club his senior
year. His accomplishments include being named to Who's Who At
BHS, AP Scholar with honor, National Merit finalist, and DAP graduate.
Class awards include "Most Likely To Succeed" and "Best
Smile."
He was a four year letterman four time regional qualifier in
cross country, where the team was three-time district champions
and 2001 state qualifiers. In soccer, he was a three year letterman,
earned All-District Honorable Mention in 2002, First Team All-District
in 2003, and was team captain in 2003. The team was district
co-champions in 2001 and two-time bi-district champions.
He credits Coach King as his mentor.
"Not only does he put all of his effort into all he does,
but he sincerely cares about all of his students," Spellman
said. "We may not have always seen eye to eye on things,
but he is a person who commands respect, is a great role model,
and overall is a good man."
Outside of school, Spellman is involved in church ministries
at St. Joseph's Catholic Community, volunteered in the pathology
lab at Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas, and was involved
in club soccer with the Dallas Texans Red South.
"It is important to work hard but don't only focus on grades,"
Spellman said. "Remember not to exclude other aspects of
your life, like friends or sports."
Pogue was born in Fort Worth but started kindergarten in Burleson.
As historian, she will be presenting the class history and taking
the traditional picture of the class at graduation.
She plans to attend the University of Dallas in Irving.
"I plan to major in biology to prepare for medical school,"
Pogue said, "I chose the University of Dallas because of
its proximity to my family and the size of the school (small!)."
She wants to pursue a career in medicine, as a doctor or medical
researcher.
"The medical field is huge and diverse and so amazing,"
Pogue said. "It seems like it would be really exciting to
be a part of."
Her school activities have included French Club, Student Council
(senior class vice president), varsity soccer, varsity debate,
National Honor Society, volleyball, color guard, and the newspaper
staff. Her accomplishments include Second Team All District Midfield
for soccer in 2003, Texas Celebrations of Educational Excellence
Award in 2000 and 2002, and Who's Who At BHS for 2003.
She credits a teacher, Mr. Phillips, as her mentor.
"There have been several (influential people in the school
system), but Mr. Phillips had a huge influence on me because he
taught me how to write and analyze literature."
Outside school, Pogue is involved as a Sunday School assistant,
a church lector, and as a Burleson soccer referee.
She credits her mother and family with her success.
"They have all taught me so many different things in life
that my life would be completely different if I wouldn't have
had all my grandmas, grandpas, mimis, papas, aunts, uncles, and
cousins to help me," Pogue said.
Her family includes her parents and her sister, 14-year-old Kathryn
Pogue, who is in the eighth grade.
"Being lazy does not pay!" Pogue said. "Stay involved
and turn things in and your GPA will stay high."
(Letters are the opinions
of the individual letter writer and may or may not reflect the
opinions of the Burleson Star or any of its employees)