By JENNIFER R. WYATT
newsroom@newsandtribune.com
May 07, 2008 11:37 am
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Singing on a rooftop wearing pajamas, dressing up as a bunny and playing kickball against elementary school students are just a few things Elizabeth Pettit has done to help raise money for Relay for Life.
Pettit, a kindergarten teacher at Riverside Elementary School in Jeffersonville, has participated in Relay for Life for at least 10 years and has been the Riverside team captain for eight years. The loss of her grandmother has contributed to her long-time participation in Relay for Life.
“I have a grandmother who had breast cancer and also uterine cancer, so it is a cause near and dear to my heart,” Pettit said. “I just thought with grandma’s situation — the way it was and there are several other people I know that have either won their struggle or lost their struggle with cancer — that this would be best way to go. It doesn’t focus on just one area. I’ve been involved in several other walks for cancer, but this one makes sure you cover everything.”
When her grandmother, Bertha Bridgewater, was diagnosed with cancer, Pettit was 26. She frequently drove her grandmother to doctor visits and saw firsthand what a cancer patient goes through.
“When she developed her cancer, she didn’t let it stop her,” Pettit said. “There was no lumpectomy or things like that at that time, and so grandma had a full mastectomy. After her mastectomy, the cancer spread to her uterus. Grandma never complained about it. She never lost her hair — she always had her white hair.
“She just always had a good outlook about it. In fact, most cancer patients I’ve been involved with have always had a positive outlook.”
The goal for Pettit’s team is to raise $3,500. To meet this goal, Pettit uses fun incentives and activities to get as many staff members and students involved as possible.
“We’ve had so many different ways to do it,” she said. “In kindergarten, we offer them little incentives. For $5, they get to wear pajamas, have a day where they can have a picnic with the teacher outside or movie and lunch with a teacher.
“We always have something where we try to get as many students involved. This year, for a $5 donation, any kid that brings money in gets to play kickball against the Relay team.”
At the same time she is motivating her school to get involved in Relay, she is also encouraging her team members.
“She’s very motivating,” said Susan Smart, Riverside team member. “She gets the rest of the team excited about what we’re doing. She is very enthusiastic and she goes the extra mile to get the money all counted, to get it turned in and she does everything she can to make it easy on the team members. She takes on a lot of work on herself.”
The hard work Pettit puts into being team captain is not something she sees herself getting tired of anytime soon. She said she will participate in Relay for Life until her feet won’t let her anymore, and even then, she will sit at the track.
“One day, there is going to be a cure,” Pettit said. “And hopefully our fundraising is going to be able to allow that. I can’t imagine not doing it every year at this point.”
Pettit attributes this dedication to her grandmother.
“Grandma was somebody that if she saw something that needed to be done, she was going to go do it,” Pettit said. “ So, I like to think that is the part of her that remains with me. She would be happy to say ‘I’m glad you’re doing that.’”
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