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Walworth County Cloggers
WHY WE RELAY
  
Why form a Walworth County Cloggers Relay for Life team?
We have over 65 dancers in Walworth County Cloggers. And almost all of our members and their families have had their lives touched in some way by cancer. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, co-workers, classmates... the list goes on and on and on. And like so many, it is that personal contact with the disease that encourages us to become actively involved in supporting a cause.
We Relay for ALL of our loved ones that have had this disease reach into their lives.
Not only do we each have our own personal connections to cancer, we all have a common connection.
Our clogging family has a HUGE reason to celebrate the victory over cancer as someone very, very special to all of us is now in her 4th year of remission. During our 2006 showcase rehearsals, Michelle (one of our fabulous instructors and a Walworth County Clogger since she was in 1st grade) was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia ---a week and a half before our big showcase performance. Such a trooper, she was determined to remain in the show while undergoing treatment. She continued to come to classes and shows the whole time!! And as you can imagine, our team learned A LOT about commitment, determination and positive attitude as we watched Michelle never let this disease get the better of her. She is such an amazing young lady and we proudly call her one of our clogging family members.
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We Relay for Michelle
Our Relay for Life Team Captain is clogging mom, Heidi Schulz. A few short months after our 2010 Relay for Life event, Heidi was diagnosed with breast cancer. This past year, we have watched as our Team Captain entered her battle with this disease. This is a woman you just have to get to know. Amazing. Her response to me after learning of her diagnosis (regarding her role as our Relay For Life Team Captain) was not "I'm going to need someone to take over that for me". Instead, it was "seems like all the more reason to now, doesn't it?" She is an inspiration. Heidi (and her daughter Katelyn -- WCC Performance Team Member) spent countless hours planning and preparing for our 2011 Relay for Life event -- while undergoing treatment! The time, energy and dedication (not to mention the amount of her own money) she contributed to this event is quite simply remarkable. I just don't know anyone that would have continued to take on the time consuming role of Team Captain while battling this disease. Her example to us has been inspirational. Heidi discovered first hand some of the support the American Cancer Society was able to provide and she has become dedicated to making sure those same support services continue to be available to others. Heidi received news in September 2011 that her cancer is in remission however, the battle is not complete. She continues to manage her health with necessary treatments.
We Relay for Heidi
In May 2010, a very dear friend to me, Robin Henning was diagnosed with a stage 4 gioblastoma malignant tumor. Robin was a fellow clogger -- working side-by-side with Cheryl "Smitty" Smith to build a clogging group in our area. I met Robin in 1989 when I joined Clowntown Cloggers. Robin's energy, enthusiasm and love for clogging was infectious. I have wonderful memories filled with laughter and dancing from state and national clogging workshops. Robin was one of my first "clogging mom's" when I started teaching clogging. You know how you have special people that touch your life in such a way that their influence is undeniable? Their presence in your life shaped and molded you into who you are today? Robin is that to me. Her never-ending belief in me, her constant support, and her advice helped me become the director I am today. Robin lost her battle with cancer in August 2011. She left behind a letter to be read at her service. Here is my favorite part...
So don't cry for me. I look back and life was an adventure we were priveleged to make. I have seen so many beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It just doesn't get any better, sure it can be longer, and fuller , but I was happy with my time, so be happy for me. Keep in touch with one another, because I live in all of you. You'll remember a joke, a smile, a picture I took, and I will live on in your stories. I will be listening.
Love, Robin
We Relay for Robin.
I am very proud to have my clogging team participate in this event. Our dancers and clogging parents become very special to us -- spending time together each week for practice and attending team events our group members truly start to feel like a huge fun extended family. By putting together a Relay For Life team, we are going to be able to work together for such a great cause.
We continue to watch as cancer touches the lives of our WCC family. We wish the list would stop growing. We wish we never have to add another name. But for now, all we can do is find a way to support the organization working to find new treatments, provide support to those fighting and search for a cure.
So we form a team and get to work.
And we thank YOU for helping us support the American Cancer Society.
Shannon Werfelmann
Founder/Director
Walworth County Cloggers
    
Walworth County Cloggers Relay For Life TEAM PAGE
Just 99 Cents
American Cancer Society Website
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