Thanks for WALK effort

To the editor:
How can we begin to say thanks to each of you who volunteered, donated, attended and encouraged every cancer survivor at the WALK Against Cancer held Saturday, June 25 at Jay County High School? Thanks for the hard work of the WALK committee, all of the volunteers who helped that day, and especially each of you who generously donated to the Jay County Cancer Society. We celebrated our 10th anniversary this year by setting an all-time record of more than $30,000 in donations that will assist Jay County cancer patients.
The evening started with the Survivor’s Dinner, with nearly 200 dinners served to cancer survivors and their guests. Thank you to Tyson Mexican Original and Coca-Cola for providing meat and drinks, and to the Knights of Columbus for preparing the dinner and the Boy Scouts for serving. You are appreciated.
The opening ceremony highlighted the evening with a balloon launch and a moment of reflection about hope. Hope for healing, hope for comfort and hope for a cure. The luminary ceremony was equally reflective with more than 1,000 candles lit around the JCHS track, honoring both cancer survivors and remembering those lost to the disease.
We also greatly appreciate our sponsors who year after year donate money so that we can hold the WALK. One hundred percent of the money raised at the WALK is given to Jay County cancer patients. This year our Gold Sponsors were Stoneridge Electronics, Fellowship Baptist Church, Hartzell Fan, Delta Theta Tau Sorority — Xi Chapter, Jay County Hospital, Knights of Columbus, Family Worship Center, MainSource Bank, Remember When/The VanSkyock Family, Altar Rosary Society, Mayor Hosier’s Golf Outing, Inman U-Loc, Dr. David Fullenkamp, Dr. Charles Miller, Schmit Chiropractic, SDP Manufacturing and Williams Auto Parts.
Silver Sponsors were Moser Engineering, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Fullenkamp Machine, Alpha Gamma Nu — Portland, Berry Plastics (Richmond), Kiwanis, Old National Bank, The Glass Bonsai and Tyson Mexican Original.
Jay County is certainly a generous community, not only with its money, but its time as well. When completed, the WALK had nearly 150 volunteers who put in more than 1,000 hours to make this event so successful. This is a tremendous effort on behalf of cancer patients and their families in Jay County.
Next year, the WALK Against Cancer will be Saturday, June 23, 2012. Mark that date on your calendar and plan to bring your church, your business, your family and your friends.
There are many ways to be involved, including collecting pledges, being a sponsor, or volunteering just a few hours.
Donations are always welcome at: WALK Against Cancer, P.O. Box 614, Portland, IN, 47371, or at The Portland Foundation in the Jay County Cancer Society’s endowment fund. The endowment fund will ensure that the cancer society can continue to provide financial assistance to cancer patients in Jay County long into the future. Please remember the Jay County Cancer Society in your estate planning.
If you have questions, please contact the society on its message line at (260) 726-8110 or Jay County Cancer Society board president Rogers Durham at (260) 726-6416. Thanks again for a fantastic year.
Bev Inman and Linda Leonhard, co-chairs, 2011 Walk Against Cancer

Drop it
To the editor:
I have just found that Arts in the Parks is presenting a program on dancing called “Dancing Around the World”.
As I understand, the individual artesian is to have included in her presentation dance from China, Africa and Native American, and will be presenting a comparison of the dances. I believe that this will be unacceptable as it will be comparing dances of different cultures as an art form.
In the case of the American Indian dances, this will be using the cultural spiritual dances for art.
The Native American dances are not just Art forms, but they are Spiritual and religious in nature.
They represent the prayers and the communication to the Creator. I feel that this would be like comparing the Catholic Mass to an art form and I feel that this would not be acceptable to most Catholic churches.
We must retain the dignity of the religious sacraments as our spiritual actions only. For the most of our lives we have been forbidden to dance the dances of our forefathers and now we are submitted to the degradation of our religion being considered an art form.
I feel that the Native American Dance should be dropped from the schedule.
Joe Gutshall
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