Two thousand join to outrun cancer

Breast cancer was both a curse and a blessing for Shayla Holtkamp. In her successful fight with the disease, Holtkamp found a new love for life.\n"I discovered a lump during a breast self-exam," said Holtkamp, a graduate student. "It was not picked up by a mammogram."\nAnd six weeks after being diagnosed with breast cancer, her 14-year-old daughter, Jolie Crider, died from bacterial meningitis. \n"Cancer slowed me down and allowed me to spend a lot more time with my daughter," she said. "It also made me a much more spiritual person. We receive tremendous growth opportunities through tough times, and when you accept the reality of death, then you can truly live and appreciate life."\nClad in red sweatshirts, Holtkamp and other cancer survivors participated alongside students and community members in the second annual Hoosiers Outrun Cancer 5K run and walk Saturday. Starting and finishing outside Assembly Hall and Mellencamp Pavilion and sponsored by the Bloomington Hospital Foundation, Bloomington Hospital and Healthcare System (BHHS) and the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, the event raised money to help fund cancer research and support programs in Monroe County and other counties served by BHHS.\nTwo thousand runners and walkers wore signs bearing the names of relatives or friends that died from cancer or those currently undergoing treatment. They raced individually and as part of a team. Families had the option of walking a separate one-mile course.\nThe event is designed to raise awareness of the disease and encourage general wellness, said Dorothy Ellis, co-founder of the event and race chair. \n"It's been proven that physical activity and exercise are very important in the fight against cancer," she said. "Our focus has, and continues to be, now more than ever, to help cancer patients."\nIrene Somes, a breast cancer survivor and breast health educator at the Olcott Center for Breast Health at BHHS, participated in the race as a member of the Olcott Center Team.\n"The Olcott Center provides education, advocacy and support for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and there's never a charge for our services," she said. "I'm glad to see that the people here today have a desire to help in whatever way they're able to."\nPart of the Hoosiers Outrun Cancer proceeds will go toward expanding the Olcott Center so it can assist patients infected with all types of cancer, said race chair Debbie Sibbitt.\n"The problem is that a lot of people don't know what to do when they are diagnosed with cancer," she said. "There's no 1-800 number they can call. That's why it's very important to have a place like the Olcott Center where they can go for help."\nOf about 90 teams at the event, one of the largest was Team Jenny, formed in memory of Jenny Suhr, a junior and president-elect of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, who lost her battle with brain cancer in the summer of 1999. About 250 people walked to remember Suhr, including her mother, Jane.\n"Jenny was a person who was good to everyone and made you better just by being near you," she said. "I hope people leave here today with an awareness of the people who are fighting cancer and the people who have died in the process."\nSarah Iba, a junior and president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, cheered on her sorority's team.\n"We're here to support the Bloomington community and remember our fellow sister Jenny," she said. "The response from Alpha Chi Omega has been overwhelming because many of us have been affected by this disease. Our team leader's mother died of cancer, and my mother is a breast cancer survivor."\nMedals and certificates were awarded to winners of each age group and the overall events. Bedford resident Teri Forsyth was named top overall female, graduate student Will Hafner won the prize for top overall male and junior Timothy Greives was the first cancer survivor to cross the finish line. \nSenior Grace Waitman, a returning runner from last year, expressed her admiration for the cancer survivors at the race.\n"When you see all of these survivors who overcame such huge obstacles run in a race, it's just amazing," she said.