Kristin Aldus, left, of the imaging department at Waldo County General Hospital made the posters with the large ribbons while Sheldon Mitchell of the maintenance department built the easels that the posters rest on. Attendees at the Waldo County Ride for Oncology will have the opportunity to purchase a smaller ribbon, put the name of a loved one on it, and then pin it to one of the posters to ride in honor of, or in memory of, a family member or friend who did or is fighting cancer.
On Sunday, Sept. 22, motorcyclists will gather at the Waldo County Shrine Club for the 2013 Waldo County Ride for Oncology. It’s a fun event and all proceeds benefit the Oncology Patient Assistance Fund at Waldo County General Hospital.
There will be a little extra twist this year as participants will have an opportunity to purchase a ribbon and ride in honor of a family member who is fighting cancer currently or in honor or memory of a loved one who fought it in the past.
There will be different color ribbons to represent different types of cancer, including pink for breast cancer, dark blue for colon cancer, orange for leukemia, yellow for bladder cancer, white for lung cancer, teal for ovarian cancer, light blue for prostate cancer, purple for pancreatic cancer, or lavender for all cancers.
Ann Hooper, manager for the imaging department at Waldo County General Hospital, and Gary Collins, organizer of the motorcycle ride, came up with the idea after hearing from participants that they wanted a way of honoring their family members who they are riding for.
Sheldon Mitchell of the hospital’s maintenance department constructed the easels that the large posters will sit on, while Kristin Aldus of the imaging department made the large ribbons on the posters. The small ribbons will be pinned on the larger ones after the names of those people who are being honored are written on them.