Teams find creative ways to help fund cancer fight
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on May 17, 2015 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Krislen Poland of Goldsboro flashes a peace sign while taking a selfie with Greg Gardner, dressed as Chewbacca from the Star Wars movie franchise. Gardner was with the T.A. Loving Co. team that carried out a Star Wars theme.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Ryan Bevell poses for a photo wearing a Deadmau5 mask that he made for a Halloween party. Bevell invited people to write the names of their loved ones on clothespins to attach to the ears of the mouse-like character. He said of the mask, "It's like a walking luminary."
It started innocently enough.
Ryan Bevell made a big red Deadmau5-style helmet his sophomore year of college for a Halloween party.
It was a hit.
So when he was trying to think of a unique way to raise money for Relay for Life, his thoughts went back to that helmet.
And Friday night, he turned it into a walking luminaria.
He donned the large, red head cover -- and then flipped a switch.
Multi-colored lights pulsed through the helmet, illuminating the more than 30 clothespins clamped around its ears, each a tribute or a memorial.
"I wanted to deck it out for Relay," Bevell said. "It's sort of like a walking luminaria to commemorate those with cancer. I made it my goal to go to as many events as possible with it."
There were many reactions to Bevell's unusual headgear.
"The ones I usually get are, 'Can I take a picture, can I take a picture with you, can I have a high-five, and what is that thing?'" Bevell said.
And Bevell was not the only one to don unusual garb in the name of finding a cure for cancer Friday night.
A few booths down, Chewbacca was roaring.
"He's dressed up like a puppy dog," said Aiden Alphin, 3, of his grandfather, Greg Garner, who was under the Chewbacca mask.
Garner was part of T.A. Loving's booth. The company has made creativity a part of its Relay for Life booths for the past eight years.
"I've been with T.A. Loving since 1999, and we've been doing themes for a while now," employee Helen Middleton said. "We've done Scooby Doo, and last year we did super heroes. One year we did a theme called 'Constructing a Cure' since we're a construction company, and one time we did a cowboy theme."
Ms. Middleton said dressing up in various costumes is never a problem because it is all for the cause.
"I've had close friends and co-workers who have had cancer," Ms. Middleton said. "The CEO of our company is actually a survivor of cancer. We all just come out to support the cause."
Other attendees of Friday night's event showed support in other ways that did not include oversized mouse heads or Star Wars costumes.
Sheila Morales and four of her friends came back to Relay this year.
They decided to pool their efforts in 2014 to raise money for the annual event.
The team raised more than $4,000.
"We're a group of people that are already really, really close. This has just become something that we have always done," she said. "We used to do it separately, but we just decided to come together and form a team."
Some among the group -- comprised of members of the Family of Faith Church in Goldsboro -- are family, but most are just friends, Mrs. Morales said.
She has been active with Relay for Life since 2007.
Mrs. Morales said she has not lost any loved ones to the disease, but has had many close friends who have.
Many more still have battled the dreaded disease, and Mrs. Morales shares one goal with all of them -- finding a cure.
"Research is a necessary thing. And when you see they are making advancements in it, it takes events like this to raise the money to do the necessary research," she said.
The star of the Family of Faith booth at Relay Friday was Randy Godwin though.
Randy's wife, Patricia, was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago. But Randy was active in Relay long before that and has been cooking "all his life."
His Relay for Life roots date back to when the event was held at Wayne Community College.
On the menu Friday were barbecued turkey, french fries, sweet potato fries and snacks.
One of the booth's main appeals also came at the hands of Godwin.
Not only does he cook, but he also does woodworking.
Godwin created a photo booth in which Relay patrons could stop by and take their own portraits.
The photo booth really highlighted the spirit of Relay.
Around the frame in large letters read, "Picture a Cure."