PORT ANGELES — After successfully battling stage IV melanoma, Jeannie Heikkila fought cancer in another way — through fundraising at Relay For Life.
It has been 12 years since her diagnosis and nine since her first Relay For Life event, and Heikkila is still going strong with her “Walk Around the Clock” team.
Heikkila and her team — as well as 25 other teams — will participate in a 24-hour fundraiser to benefit cancer research at the Relay For Life of Port Angeles, which will begin with a “soft opening” at 3 p.m. today at the Clallam County Fairgrounds, 1608 W. 16th St.
Official opening ceremonies will be at 6 p.m. today.
The first Survivor Lap, which includes both cancer survivors and their caretakers, will be at 6:30 p.m. today.
The Luminaria Ceremony, which commemorates those who have battled cancer, will be at 11 tonight.
Registration will open at 10 a.m. today, and the event will continue all night long and into Saturday.
The second Survivors Lap will be at 10 a.m. Saturday.
In addition to the Survivor Laps and Luminaria Ceremony, several fun laps will be held including the Macarena Lap, Chicken Dance Lap, Pajama Lap, Limbo Lap, Hokey Pokey Lap, YMCA Lap and Bunny Hop Lap.
They will begin at 7:30 tonight, with one each hour.
Each team will offer items for sale at their decorated tent areas.
There also will be a cupcakes walk, a watermelon eating contest and haircutting for Locks of Love, which provides wigs to those suffering hair loss from cancer treatment.
Photos for $5
Photos will be taken for $5 each.
On stage will be Kelly Hoch & Friends at 4:30 p.m. today; Soul Shakers at 7 tonight; Big Fine Daddies at 9 p.m.; a Midnight Dessert Extravaganza with a disc jokey and karaoke at midnight; BYOB at 3 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Saturday; and Turner Brothers at noon Saturday.
To get people moving in the morning, Zumba is planned at 7 a.m. Saturday and jazzercise at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
Closing ceremonies will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with the event ending at about 3 p.m.
Teams raise money mostly through fundraisers. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society for research.
Heikkila found a lump in her armpit in 1998, leading to her diagnosis of stage III melanoma.
Discovery of a spot on her lung changed the status of the cancer to stage IV because it had metastasized — or spread.
Unlike typical melanoma, she had no prior skin symptoms.
“They say that it is ‘origin unknown,'” she said.
In remission
After undergoing several rounds of intensive biochemotherepy — which includes five different drugs to attack the cancer, she was found to be in remission.
“And I’ve been in remission since,” she said.
Her involvement in Operation Uplift — an organization which raises money for breast cancer research and education — led to an introduction to Relay For Life.
“In 2001, I was helping Operation Uplift with the Luminary Ceremony,” she said.
“And I’ve been walking ever since.”
Although close friend and teammate Rhonda Jalbert’s bout with cancer was not quite as dramatic, the event was jolting.
Jalbert found her own melanoma spot in 1993, which she had quickly removed.
“I’ve really been cancer-free ever since — it never metastasized,” she said.
She has annual checkups and encourages everyone to self-check as well.
“I really got involved in Relay because of my own experience but also because just like everyone, we all know people who have suffered and died from cancer,” Jalbert said.
“This is something that has touched everyone in the whole country.”
For more information about the Port Angeles Relay For Life, see www.relayforlife.org/port angeleswa.
To register to walk the Survivors Lap or to learn more about it, phone 360-460-5960 or Nancy White at 360-670-9496.
To register a team or as a corporate sponsor, phone either of the event chairwomen, Tonja Linson at 360-808-7757 or Debra West at 360-670-349, or show up at the event. Teams will be accepted up to the last minute.
For 24-hour cancer information, phone the American Cancer Society at 800-227-2345 or see www.cancer.org.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.