LYLE – Talk about amazing, the Lyle Area Cancer Telethon raised $45,200 this year.

Thursday, March 08, 2001

LYLE – Talk about amazing, the Lyle Area Cancer Telethon raised $45,200 this year.

Only Rochester raised more and that city is 200 times bigger than tiny Lyle.

Even Geneva was undone by the generosity of Lyle. Typically, Geneva finishes second to Rochester in the friendly competition to raise money for the annual Eagles Cancer Telethon each January.

An appreciation supper was held Feb. 18, at Lyle American Legion Post No. 105. Many of the volunteers, who participated in the Jan. 19-20 fund-raising events.

Gary and Cindy Ziegler welcomed guests, which also included auctioneers. dignitaries from the Eagles organization and representatives of the Hormel Institute in Austin, one of the beneficiaries of the funds raised in southeast Minnesota.

Gary Ziegler pointed out to the audience, the community of Lyle could not by itself raise so much money.

"This kind of success takes a lot of pieces to the puzzle," he said. "That’s why it is an ‘area’ project and we have many people to thank all around us in northern Iowa and Minnesota."

Dan Hershberger and Dave Thompson were there, representing the nine auctioneers, who donated their services.

Dick and Carol Brekke of the Austin Eagles Aerie expressed the organization’s appreciation.

"I’d like to shake hands with everybody. Each and every one of you deserves our thanks," Dick Brekke said.

Special guests were Bob and June Callier of Rochester and Dr. Harald Schmid, executive director of the Hormel Institute, and his wife, Pat Schmid, a research scientist at the institute.

In addition, Galen Holst, commander of American Legion Post No. 105, was another special guest and co-host for the night’s events. The Legion Post donated $1,000 of its charitable gambling proceeds to the January fund-raiser.

Bob Callier, the fifth district director of the Eagles Cancer Telethon, recalled how organizers of the giant fund-raising project met last October to finalize plans. The activities include a live broadcast over KTTC Channel 10, hundreds of amateur talent acts performing and dozens upon dozens of individual fund-raising efforts at churches, schools, Legion Posts and community centers throughout the area.

"We knew Rochester would be strong and Lewiston and Geneva, too, because they always are," Callier said. "We also knew we could county on Lyle, because they had raised $27,200 a year ago and I told them what that tiny town had done should inspire all of us to do more in 2001.

"We never knew it would be what it became," he said. "We’re a family in the Eagles and Lyle proved it again that by working together you can achieve so much."

The city of Rochester raised $162,000 this year when a total of $535,000 or $70,000 more than a year ago was collected for cancer research.

Only six cents of every dollar goes for administrative fees, according to Callier.

Ziegler said "so many people do so much that it’s really impossible to mention all of them."

Louis "Tip" Taylor, a retired long-time Lyle City Council member, is one of them. He is among those who canvass businesses in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota soliciting items for the auction.

This year, a pool tournament debuted at Carpenter, Iowa, which was a huge success.

"Tiny" Johnson, mayor of Carpenter, Iowa, suggested it and organizers, in turn, named it in honor of his wife Lucille, who died July 4, 2000, of cancer.

One of the pool tournament organizers, Tonya Wogstad said despite inclement weather on the night in January when the tournament was held, it attracted many teams and the winners refused to accept their payback and donated it to the Lyle Area Cancer Auction.

Already plans are underway for the second annual pool tournament in 2002 at the Carpenter Community Center.

The Hormel Institute is one of three recipients of grants from the Eagles Cancer Telethon. Executive director Schmid described the institute’s work and how the focus has changed to embrace more cancer research efforts.

He praised Dr. Zigang Dong, an institute section leader expected to replace Schmid when he retires, for his efforts to obtain research grants for the institute scientists and help further their cancer research.

To start the evening, a potluck meal was served; again the volunteers did the work, preparing hot dishes and other treats for the guests.

Auctioneer Hershberger, his wife and family sang the table prayer and before the evening was over they would stand out in other ways in the Legion Post audience’s eyes.

Hershberger and his wife, Anna, have seven children, ranging in age from 19 months to 16 years and including four daughters and three sons. They are Mennonites.

Hershberger operates a custom furniture-building business at Chester, Iowa.

At the age of 4, the couple’s daughter, Mary, was diagnoses with leukemia. Despite a valiant battle, the child died four years later at the age of 7 of a brain tumor.