Lyle Area Cancer Auction hits new high
Published 6:36 am Monday, January 31, 2011
Larry Ricke and other Lyle Area Cancer volunteers didn’t quite have it right when they submitted a $130,000 bid to the annual 5th District Eagles Cancer Telethon this year. They’d actually raised $138,000.
“We made a big mistake this year,” Ricke said, beaming, to incoming Telethon Directors Mike and Teresa Chapman before a roomful of volunteers at the Lyle American Legion Sunday night.
This new record was the top news at the LAC Appreciation Dinner, where volunteers and community members gathered to celebrate another year raising funds for the Eagles Cancer Telethon. Funds collected will benefit Mayo Clinic, Hormel Institute and University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center.
“It’s incredible,” Ricke said.
LAC volunteers put on 20 events this year, several of them new, to break their previous record of $127,800 set in 2006. Some of the big events, such as the Lucille Johnson Memorial Pool Tournament and the annual Cancer Auction, pulled in tens of thousands of dollars.
Overall, the auction brought in about $45,000, which doesn’t include cash donations, Ricke said. The Harley Davidson raffle was up from last year at $23,600. The auction’s kitchen brought in $4,445.
“Our total wouldn’t have went up without all the new people coming in,” said Cindy Ziegler, a LAC volunteer. “We’ve had a lot of new volunteers, new people show up.”
Volunteers are already planning ahead for next year. Kathy Wichmann of Thrivent Financial Lutheran is organizing a heart disease and cancer fundraiser called Red, White and Pink, which will take place at the Oak Park Mall from 9 a.m.-3 p.m Feb. 26. Part of the event will be a men’s runway show, where men who are nominated by community members for $10 will have to dress up and “strut their stuff” before the audience. Those unwilling to do a runway walk can get out of it by paying $25 to the fundraiser. Half of the proceeds will go the American Heart Association, while the other half will go to LAC.
“It keeps the money local,” Wichmann said.
Next year’s Harley Davidson raffle could be bigger than ever. Ricke told volunteers Sunday that LAC volunteers were in contact with Orange County Choppers, the famous custom motorcycle shop, to obtain a motorcycle for the Harley raffle next year.
“They’ve already been in contact,” Ricke said. “Pretty much, if we say yes, it’s a done deal.”