The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Thinking Pink.....

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner

February 4, 2009

It was good to see the basketball players, fans, and teachers all working together to raise money for the Cancer Society last week, in their THINK PINK campaign.

The event was at the girls basketball game at West Central High School, and even the girls' Varsity Head Coach Jay Blender of Raritan, wore a Pink shirt along with all his team members. Blender was surprised with a presentation before the Varsity game honoring his 300th win as a basketball coach, but he also had some dark days a few years ago when he was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Now, he is fine and coaching again, and is also Athletic Director at West Central.

It seems cancer has touched about everybody in some fashion. A family member, a friend, a coach or classmate and hopefully, we will soon find the cure.

It is easy to get discouraged when you count the years the American Cancer Society has been working to find a cure, but it is also encouraging when you find that so many are catching the problems early and treatment has been successful and they are returning to their normal lives.

For many I knew, in the 60s, there no hope for survival.

I hope we can all continue to stay focused on the goal - (finding a cure) and that we not dwell so much on the long hard battle we seem to continually be in to raise the funds for research.

I am convinced that if we do not give up, and we keep on working together, a cure may be just around the corner. You just can never tell when that might happen.

In the mean time - our schools seem to have a dual purpose of making a difference with their THINK PINK campaign, their Highway 34 campaign, and many other endeavors along with educating themselves to maybe someday, be the one to find that cure for cancer. Now tell me, how much is educating our children worth?