Polk County News
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 31, 2017
Respect: Volunteers
help set up cemetery
Continued from Page 1A
All the while, volunteers
are placing flags and
name plaques throughout
the cemetery in prepara-
tion for the Avenue of
Flags Ceremony held on
Monday, a joint presenta-
tion by the local posts of
the American Legion and
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Before Lowr y and
Mitchell returned to their
car, Lowry turned toward
the road and lifted her
hand above her eyes. She
commented on the beauty
of the flags lining the road
as they billowed in the
breeze.
Seconds later, Mitchell
did the same: “Look at the
flags.”
Turning to leave, Lucile
Mitchell asks Lowry to try
to remember a landmark
to make it easier to find
her brother-in-law for the
next time they take a day
to remember his service to
his country.
“She and I make the
trek every year,” Mitchell
said.
EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer file
Survivors and caretakers line up for the survivors lap during the 2016 Relay for Life event in Independence.
Relay for Life Polk County kicks off its 24-hour event on Saturday in Dallas
By Jolene Guzman
Fight Cancer
The Itemizer-Observer
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Sally Lowry, left, and Lucile Mitchell make the trip from
Lebanon to Dallas around Memorial Day each year.
DALLAS — Tami Bookey-
Kuhlmann says it’s rare that
she meets someone who
hasn’t had cancer or knows
someone who has.
That is the reason she
took over as American Can-
cer Society’s Relay for Life
Polk County’s chairwoman.
“Once you get involved, it
does become a passion and
it’s meaningful,” she said.
Polk County’s 24-hour relay
event is Saturday to Sunday,
10 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Dal-
las High School track. This
year, the event is Disney-
themed, “The Magic of Relay.”
It’s open to the public,
and you don’t have to be on
a team to attend.
“A lot of times, first-time
relayers have an experience
and they get involved again,
and they keep coming
back,” she said. “It’s hard to
meet somebody that hasn’t
been touched by cancer.”
Saturday, 21 teams will hit
What: American Cancer
Society Relay for Life Polk
County.
When: Saturday and
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Where: Dallas High
School track.
Of note: The event is
open to the public. Regis-
tration begins at 9 a.m.
Saturday.
the track to complete the
fundraiser, which, as of
Thursday, had collected more
than $26,000 for the cause of
fighting cancer. Bookey-
Kuhlmann said fundraising
continues through Sunday,
and she’s not certain where it
will end up.
She added the communi-
ty has contributed at least
that much in sponsorships
and in-kind support for the
event.
Those who want to expe-
rience the purpose of relay
but not stay for 24 hours,
can attend the opening cere-
mony and survivor lap,
starting a 10 a.m. Saturday.
“That’s when survivors
and caregivers get to go
around the track and we get
to honor them because they
are the whole reason we do
what we do,” Bookey-
Kuhlmann said.
Another meaningful part
is the Luminaria Ceremony,
during which the track will
be lined with decorated Lu-
minaria bags representing a
cancer survivor, or someone
lost to cancer. At 10 p.m.,
candles illuminate the bags
in the darkness.
“Seeing the track light up
with all those luminaria bags
and having that touching
moment when people are
thinking about those they
love who have survived can-
cer or that lost to cancer,”
Bookey-Kuhlmann said. “It’s
the most somber part of the
event. It quiets down and
everybody just has that mo-
ment when you walk around
the track and you see the
bag that has been decorated
for your father, for your sis-
ter, for your best friend.”
Those who attend have a
delicious treat in store, with
Mo’s Restaurants bringing its
food truck to sell its famous
clam chowder and other
items during relay.
Doc Titus will keep the
teams going with entertain-
ment during the events and
participants can have fun
with the Disney theme, in-
cluding princess, hero, vil-
lain and fairy wand/glow
stick theme laps.
This is Bookey-
Kuhlmann’s last year as
chairwoman, so she hopes
someone will be inspired to
take the baton from her.
She said Polk County’s
event has a rich tradition,
and is unique for staying a
24-hour event when other
communities have switched
to 18- or 12-hour events.
“There’s not that many 24-
hour events anymore,” she
said. “They’ve actually classi-
fied us as a heritage event.
I’m pretty proud of that.”
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