Published: June 11, 2009 01:31 pm      

Two Clark County Relay for Life teams fight cancer for the future

Bank, car club say participation brings members closer

The future is the focus for two Clark County Relay for Life teams this year.

“I want to help find a cure,” said Nancy Purlee, captain of the Falls City Mustang Club team. “So that my grandchildren will not end up having cancer, and so I will not lose any other family members or anyone else.

“I do it to help and hopefully one day we will find a cure.”

The same hope for a cure the Falls City Mustang Club holds is the motivator the First Savings Bank team.

“It’s personal for me,” said Hollye Nifong, First Savings Bank team member. “I don’t want any more of my family members to have to fight that battle.”

Cars and coin jars contributed to the teams’ efforts in raising money for the cause. Falls City Mustang Club held a car show in October at Rocky’s Italian Grill in Jeffersonville and the proceeds went to the American Cancer Society.

The First Savings Bank team put coin jars in every First Savings Bank to collect lose change from generous customers. The Falls City Mustang Club Team raised more than $3,000 and donated that to become a relay sponsor. The First Savings Bank Team raised more than $1,200 on the coin jar fundraiser.

“It’s just all about raising money and awareness of relay,” said Nancy Boman, First Savings Bank team member. “And trying to get more and more people involved so the overall relay can be bigger and better.”

The teams have found that participation and collaboration is the key to meeting their goals, which culminate at Relay for Life this weekend.

“Since I’ve been part of the Mustang Club, it’s been a diverse group of people but we make it work,” said Vanessa Rains, Falls City Mustang Club team member. “We all come together. There is a lot of fellowship Team had many employees get on board their relay team.

“Everyone wanted to participate,” said Jennifer Holland, First Savings Bank team captain said. “We have over 40 members on our team, which is wonderful since we are such a small bank. Our bank is really close and willing to help on anything that one of us get into.”

Both teams strive for a cancer-free future and plan on continuing their relay efforts in years to come.

“I do know a lot of people are cancer free, but there is also a lot of tragedy,” Purlee said. “I think they have come a long way with their research, but I would like to see them come a whole lot longer way.”