Running for more than just a winning time

For most races, the story is about fast runners and fast times.

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But Saturday's two cancer awareness runs at Mendenhall River Community School told a different story.

Sure, there were some fast runners with fast times over the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course - Shawn Miller won the Seventh Annual Prostate Cancer Run/Walk in 16 minutes, 10 seconds and JoAnn Quigg won the 11th Annual "Beat the Odds" All-Women's Race Against Breast Cancer in 20:07.

However, the real stories of Saturday's two races were told in the little red paper hearts worn by many of the 600 or so participants - about 525 women and 75 men. Runners wrote the names of relatives or friends who'd battled breast or prostate cancer on the little red paper hearts, then wore the hearts as they took part in the races.

Some hearts had one name, others had as many as 10. Some participants needed several hearts to fit all their names.

Aunt Jody. Aunt Linda.

Danielle Fenn. Joyce Julian.

Lee and Claudia.

My Julie.

Grammie. Harriet. Shirley. Jan.

I'm a survivor.

The hearts helped bring the message of the race home to the runners. Instead of a series of mind-boggling national statistics, seeing the names of family members and friends who have fought - and sometimes won - their own battles against the diseases made the need for cancer awareness seem more real.

"I'm four years a survivor. I'm cured," said Dr. Mike McKrill, a local dentist and runner who wasn't able to compete in the prostate cancer run because of a bad hip but was able to volunteer. "Early detection is the key. Since they figured out how to do it - early detection for prostate cancer - the chances of survival are much better than they used to be. It used to be when you were finally diagnosed with prostate cancer you were so far gone."

"My mother-in-law, two sisters, me, my aunt, (points to husband) his mother, his sister, some of the hearts may have fallen off," Janet Seamount said as she inventoried the names on the half-dozen hearts she wore in the breast cancer race. "I never thought I'd get it, but I got it when I was 71. I'm 73 now, and I thought I'd escaped. There are so many more people today, it's like an epidemic. But my sister got it in all her nodes, and she's still alive after 11 years."

In 2001, there were 198,100 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in American men, with about 200-250 of those in Alaska. The estimated death toll will be 39,200 men this year, but many of these men could be saved with a simple PSA test (prostate-specific antigen test). If prostate cancer is diagnosed at the localized stage, it's about 99 percent curable.

There will be about 180,000 women and 1,600 men diagnosed with breast cancer this year, with about 300-350 of those in Alaska. The American Cancer Society estimates one in nine women will get breast cancer at some point in their lives. About 44,300 women will die from the disease this year. Again, early screening through self-examination and mammograms can dramatically increase the cure rate.

Cindy Cashen wore a heart that said "My Mom," while her 8-year-old daughter Donna wore a heart with "Gramma Mac" on it. Cashen said she and her sister have been involved in all 11 breast cancer run/walks, and they've taken their daughters since the girls have been able to walk.

"When my mom got it, back then the chances of dying were so much greater," Cashen said. "She was diagnosed early enough and she's one of the fortunate ones. She's still alive after 14 years."

Mummy. V.S. R.L.

Nancy.

My dad, I love you.

DeeDee Jonrowe.

For Mom, 2X survivor.

Supporting Karen and Bryn.

The money raised from Saturday's two runs supported the Southeast Alaska Cancer and Wellness Foundation, two local cancer support groups, a cancer victim store and Hospice and Home Care of Juneau.

George Elgee of the Glacier Valley Rotary Club, which organizes the "Beat the Odds" run, said one of his club's officers recently was diagnosed with breast cancer and was given a care package and videotape about the disease and was told it was from the Southeast Alaska Cancer and Wellness Foundation. Elgee said the care package and videotape were produced with funds raised by the "Beat the Odds" run.

Besides the care packages, the SEACWF - which was founded by prostate cancer survivor Mike Miller - helps local residents with cancer with travel funds get to treatments in Anchorage or Seattle. It also helps people find cancer support groups and provides other services. The foundation has a new Web site, http://www.seacwf.org.

Through groups like this, there is more hope for those people diagnosed with cancer. A group of cancer survivors, led by Nicki Germain, will compete under the name "Team Survivor Perseverance" in next weekend's Klondike "Trail of '98" International Road Relay from Skagway to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

Bryn Nelson - a former Juneau teacher who moved to Spokane, Wash., to be closer to her family and treatment - said the support groups helped her cope with the disease. Since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 1999, Nelson said she's been through everything - mastectomy, chemotherapy, tamoxofin, reconstruction, re-occurance, more chemotherapy and lymphodema.

"You think you have control over your life, but you don't," Nelson said. "All of that control you thought you had over your life is thrown in the trash when you get cancer. But I'm alive. Cancer is not a death sentence. You can survive."

That sentiment was echoed by Tish Griffin, another cancer survivor in Saturday's race.

"Five months cancer free, that's always something to celebrate," Griffin said as she started the race.

For those readers who need the race results, they're on the Scoreboard on Page B2.

"This run is a good cause, but the race is not so important," Miller said.

"It's all fun," Quigg added.

Charles Bingham can be reached at cbingham@juneauempire.com.

Results from "Beat the Odds," an all women's race against breast cancer. The 5-kilometer race was held Saturday at Mendenhall River Elementary School. Results from the 2-mile walk are not available.

WOMEN

Age 8-younger - 1. AURI CLARK, 42 minutes, 50 seconds.

Age 9-13 - 1. KIRSTEN JORGENSEN, 25:22; 2. BRITTANY LEHNHART, 25:24; 3. SARA SAYRE, 25:54; 4. JANA OLMSTEAD, 29:25; 5. ALEXIS REISHUS, 33:53; 6. LINDSAY CLARK, 37:54.

Age 14-19 - 1. GWENN MILLER, 27:16; 2. REBECCA MARSHALL, 32:06.

Age 20-29 - 1. LACHELLE CROTTEAU (second place overall), 20:11; 2. SAMANTHA DAVIS, 23:07; 3. CHRISTINE SCHMID, 23:08; 4. JENNIFER CHALLEN, 26:13; 5. KIM HART, 26:32; 6. SARA BEABER, 26:45; 7. CATHY TIDE, 27:11; 8. LISA EAGAN, 27:12; 9. ELLEN NAUGHTER, 27:13; 10. BETSY GARRIGUES, 27:14; 11. JACQUELYN FORSTER, 28:07; 12. BETH FITZGERALD, 28:16; 13. AMI CECIL, 28:34; 14. MICHELE FOX , 28:45; 15. AMY LOTT, 29:46; 16. WENDY BOYDEN, 31:37; 17. LESLIE KUPPER, 34:53; 18. DARCY MARKOVICH, 35:34.

Age 30-34 - 1. JOANN QUIGG (overall winner), 20:06; 2. PUTT CLARK (third place overall), 20:24; 3. REBECCA BRAUN, 21:29; 4. MICHELE SCHINDLER, 21:54; 5. DANETTE MAE-NUGENT, 23:42; 6. CHERYL LEVITT, 24:51; 7. MONA YARNELL, 25:33; 8. MOLLY BOX, 26:11; 9. CAMERON YOUNG, 27:28; 10. KELLY McCORMICK, 28:05; 11. K. OLSON, 29:47; 12. JENNIFER HEIDERSDORF, 31:10; 13. LISA WORL, 32:25; 14. STACY HENDERSON, 31:38; 15. HEIDI STEARS, 31:43; 16. JENNIFER MANNIX, 32:00; 17. KIM BARR, 33:44.

Age 35-39 - 1. AMY CARROLL, 22:04; 2. NANCY POTTS, 22:09; 3. DARCY SCHAUWECKER, 22:38; 4. GINA JENSEN, 23:39; 5. JAMIE BURSELL, 23:44; 6. LAURIE THORPE, 24:49; 7. SHEILA KING, 26:22; 8. NANCY LEHNHART, 26:54; 9. LINDA NEWMAN, 27:05; 10. MOLLY McCORMICK, 27:58; 11. SHARON BUIS, 28:06; 12. JANET OLMSTEAD, 29:33; 13. DREA OLMSTEAD, 29:34; 14. AMY MARTIA, 29:48; 15. JESSICA MENENDEZ, 30:31; 16. DIXIE DENTON, 30:32; 17. SARA RASTER, 31:27; 18. KAREN SCHEDING, 31:51; 19. SUE REISHUS-O'BRIEN, 34:08; 20. CAROL MAY, 34:42; 21. MARI MEINERS, 37:41; 22. SHEILA BOX, 39:54.

Age 40-44 - 1. DEBBIE GROVES, 20:27; 2. KIM RIVERA, 21:56; 3. SHARON FISHER, 23:02; 4. KAREN KLEIN, 23:33; 5. KATHY CALLAHAN, 24:40; 6. DONNA HAHNLEN, 24:56; 7. TERRI CALVIN, 25:15; 8. JANA LINFIELD, 25:28; 9. BRIDGET CARNEY, 25:52; 10. JOANNE KLIEN, 26:46; 11. SHERRY TAMONE, 27:05; 12. AMY SKILBRED, 27:16; 13. MARIAN CLOUGH, 27:26; 14. SHERRI BROWN, 27:45; 15. BETHANY BEREMAN, 28:17; 16. MELANIE BROWN, 28:24; 17. ELIZABETH TOUSLEY, 28:28; 18. ALBERTA JONES, 28:32; 19. MARY BEDORE, 29:23; 20. LORI HOOVER, 29:25; 21. LINDA VALLIE, 29:52; 22. KATHY KARTCHNER, 30:07; 23. BOBBI JURRENS, 30:07; 24. EUNICE JAMES-LEE, 31:40; 25. HAZEL REYNOLDS, 32:24; 26. TRACY SISTERMAN, 37:44; 27. JOYCE WALDMAN, 41:00.

Age 45-49 - 1. JANEANN TWELKER, 22:07; 2. LAURA STATS, 23:19; 3. MELANIE WHITE, 23:23; 4. KATE SLOTNICK, 23:24; 5. JENNIFER THOMPSON, 26:47; 6. BETH POTTER, 27:00; 7. L. BERG, 28:04; 8. GAIL BLUNDEL, 29:51; 9. GERIANNE McLEOD, 30:00; 10. LESLIE DAUGHERTY, 30:25; 11. THERESE THIBODEAU, 30:31; 12. MARGARET COWAN, 32:51; 13. ISABEL HESSON, 32:52; 14. SARAH FELIX, 34:10; 15. MARY RIGGEN-VER, 35:31; 16. DIANE LAROCQUE, 36:57; 17. DIANE BOWES, 42:54; 18. (first name unavailable) WALLER, 42:59.

Age 50-59 - 1. NANCY THOMAS, 26:03; 2. CHRIS THOMAS, 26:12; 3. JAN BEAUCHAMP, 26:31; 4. MARION KOELSCH, 27:57; 5. VIRGINIA STONKUS, 28:19; 6. DOROTHY CARY, 28:46; 7. SYLVIA KIDD, 29:17; 8. MARY CLAIRE TARLOW, 30:05; 9. JOYANNE BLOOM, 31:52; 10. ELLEN ROSFELD, 33:40; 11. BONNIE TOLEMAN, 35:47; 12. PAT YEARTY, 36:16; 13. SARA PEACOCK, 36:23; 14. SUSAN FITZGERALD, 41:20; 15. LORRAINE STICKEL, 42:03.

PROSTATE CANCER RUN/WALK

Results from the Seventh Annual Prostate Cancer Run/Walk, held Saturday at Mendenhall River Elementary School. These are the results from the 5-kilometer race. Results from 2-mile walk are not available.

Age 8-younger - 1. Aidan Sabety-Mass, 35 minutes, 32 seconds.

Age 9-13 - 1. Ben Schlechter, 23:18; 2. Cameron Clark, 23:36; 3. Andy Lawson, 35:39; 4. Kelly Thomson, 37:11.

Age 19-29 - 1. Shawn Miller (overall winner), 16:09; 2. Chris Wilkins, 18:09; 3. Robert Bunton, 20:07; 4. Kai Ottesen, 20:11; 5. Nathan Adams, 21:08; 6. Thomas McRae, 22:27.

Age 30-34 - 1. Don Eagle, 16:44; 2. Michael Croutteau, 16:46; 3. Ben Gage, 19:28; 4. Andy West, 21:31; 5. James Swanson, 25:51.

Age 35-39 - 1. Tom Casey (second overall), 16:26; 2. John Bursell (third overall), 16:41; 3. Tracy Rivera, 17:28; 4. Rorie Watt, 18:49; 5. Jim Ustasiewski, 19:50; 6. Matt Jones, 22:06; 7. Dan Monteith, 24:09.

Age 40-44 - 1. Ken Maas, 17:17; 2. Keith Marshall, 19:40; 3. Peter Bittenbender, 21:37; 4. Dave Ringle, 23:02; 5. David Thomson, 37:12.

Age 45-49 - 1. Neil Slotnick, 20:43.

Age 50-59 - 1. Gerald Buckley, 18:51; 2. Ben Haight, 19:32; 3. Mason (Buck) Bryant, 20:52; 4. Pat Gullufsen, 21:01; 5. Eric Twelker, 21:09; 6. Reed Stoops, 22:04; 7. Carlos Cadiente, 23:11; 8. Doug Weaver, 23:17; 9. Alan Davis, 23:56; 10. Bob Sylvester, 25:03; 11. Paul Dillon, 25:49; 12. Michael Fleischhauer, 28:10; 13. Tom Lawson, 35:39.

Age 60-69 - 1. Charlie Bursell, 26:45; 2. Gene Harrison, 36:40.

WOMEN

Age 45-49 - 1. Rebecca Mass, 36:02.