Relay For Life Island of Hope: Community rallies to 'Tackle Cancer' (and wind, rain)

Fri, May 23rd 2025 10:55 am

Story and Photos by Alice Gerard

Senior Contributing Writer

The wind blew and the rain fell on the afternoon and evening of May 17 at Town Commons, but Grand Island’s 24^th annual Relay For Life went on. This year’s theme was the football-inspired, “Tackle Cancer.”

“I'd have to say it was a crazy day, to say the least, with the wind and rain,” said Relay For Life co-chair Lynn Marston Dingey. “We want to thank everyone that braved the weather to join us, the survivors, the vendors, the Relayers and our community. It broke our hearts to see the damage some of our vendors and teams sustained from the wind. It also lifted our hearts to see the survivors enjoying a meal together and seeing the beautiful luminaria lined up before the luminaria ceremony.”

Visitors checked out the basket raffle, and they listened to music by Rusty Nickel and the Eric Spahr Band. Later in the evening, they participated in “The Price Is Right,” hosted by Hayden Garey, and they watched Elektra & Odin Fire Performers dance and have a battle with fiery swords.

Dingey talked about some of her favorite moments of the day.

“Some of my favorite parts were the survivors gathered in front of the stage for a picture. They truly represent hope. Seeing the survivor lap for the first time since 2019 and hearing everyone clapping for them.

“Hearing the laughter in the survivor tent and the cheers during ‘The Price Is Right.’ Seeing the basket winners excited to see what they won. Watching the awe on the faces of the people watching the fire performers made me smile. The people dancing to the bands and DJ during the day.”

During the survivor recognition ceremony, Dingey recognized caregivers.

“The stars of our celebration are our cancer survivors, but we can’t forget the caregivers who have a supporting role in the survivors’ journey,” she said. “We’re all caregivers in a way. Any cancer survivor you talk to will tell you they couldn’t fight this fight without their caregivers in their life.”

Relay For Life survivor lap winds around Town Commons.

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Dingey also talked about a young man who was to have been the second honorary survivor, in addition to musician Carol Horrigan. Unfortunately, his health prevented him from attending Relay For Life.

“Before we introduce our honorary survivor, there is an amazing young man in our community, Joe Slachciak,” Dingey said. “He celebrated his 17th birthday earlier this year in the hospital with a cancer diagnosis (leukemia). Joe and his family were hoping to join us today, but, due to Joe’s ongoing treatment, they were unable to. But Joe has a YouTube channel, called ‘Joe’s Corner.’ It is quickly growing, and we would love it if you could all take a moment to subscribe to his channel. I promise Joe and his dad, Kevin, will make you smile. All of us subscribing to his channel will make Joe smile.”

Megan Reynolds offered an introduction to honorary survivor Horrigan.

“Our honorary survivor of the year is not only a cancer warrior, she is the heart of a family, steadfast, nurturing and selfless,” Reynolds said. “As a wife, she is a loyal partner offering strength and encouragement through every season of life. As a mother, she has poured love, wisdom and patience into raising her children, guiding them with gentle hands and a fierce, protective heart. She is a devoted teacher, who has inspired young minds in a classroom; and a dedicated private instructor, who gives her time and talent generously. She is a cherished friend, who gives life and love to everyone she meets. Perhaps her favorite title of all is grandma. As a grandmother, she is a warm, constant presence, offering hugs, stories and quiet support, creating a legacy of love that spans generations. Her devotion is not just in what she does, but in how deeply she cares, whether in the classroom or in a private lesson, or with family and friends, or simply in conversation, her resilience and positivity have inspired all who’ve known her. Through her journey, she has shown what it means to fight with grace, with hope and strength, and to live with purpose. Her story reminds us why we come together to support, to remember and to never give up. She has decided that, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

“That was a perfect introduction for Carol, and Carol had no idea Megan was doing it,” Dingey said afterward.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer on March 1, 2010, 15 years ago,” Horrigan said. “Sometimes, it seems like a lifetime ago, and, sometimes, especially a couple of weeks ago, when I went for my annual mammogram, it seems like yesterday. All the knots in my stomach come rushing back. When Jeanne Percival messaged me about this honor, I was genuinely touched. My family actually laughed and said, ‘Wait, you mean the girl who didn’t want anyone to know she had breast cancer is going to stand up and talk about it?’ ”

Horrigan said, “The girl who tried to keep her diagnosis a secret is now standing here, sharing this journey with all of you. To be honest, they were right. Fifteen years ago, I was still teaching at Huth Road (Elementary School), and I absolutely did not want those kids to know about my diagnosis. So, I kept things as low-key as I could. Cancer changes you and the people around you, and I didn’t think that the kids needed anything to worry about. Ironically, what I feared most wasn’t the treatment. It was losing my hair. Of course, because then, people would know that I had cancer. And, when it finally started growing in, Danielle Neuhaus would come to my house, and she would trim it. One day, she said, ‘We need to put a couple of highlights in it; it will make you feel like you again.’

“I remember the first day I went to school without my wig. It was a concert day. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I told the kids that my hairdresser had gone bonkers when I asked for just a little shorter. What I didn’t tell them was I was petrified to go to school that day. I wanted so badly to be normal again, but, deep down, I knew I couldn’t go back. In my anxious cancer-fueled thoughts, I think I forgot something important: Adults and kids have a great capacity for compassion and kindness. If you are willing to open up and let people help you, you may be surprised by how big your village really is.”

Horrigan also talked about the joys and the heartaches of surviving cancer and of being close to others fighting the same battle.

“Today, I stand before you with 15 years behind me, hoping for many more. I am beyond grateful to call myself a survivor. I’ve gotten to enjoy milestone birthdays, retired from teaching, welcomed grandchildren, taken beautiful vacations, and cherished countless other blessings.

“Unfortunately, I also watched my mom pass away from cancer. My nephew died of leukemia, and I had friends and colleagues who were not lucky enough to be called survivors. So, today, I pray that researchers will continue to unlock the mysteries of this disease and that we will never stop fighting. Today is a shining example of what hope looks like and a powerful reminder that, even in the darkest of times, we all have the ability to make a difference. We are the difference.”

Remembrance was also a big part of the last event of the evening, the luminaria ceremony.

Dingey talked about being moved by “the bagpipes leading the luminaria walk and thinking about all the people those bags represent. Some with us and some not, knowing we have more work to do to ‘Finish the Fight.’ ”

Next year, Grand Island will celebrate its 25^th anniversary of Relay For Life. “We can only hope Mother Nature shines on our celebration,” Dingey said.