Wrangell outing makes $3,200 for cancer care

Fifty women from Petersburg and Wrangell played in a golf outing on Saturday to raise money for cancer patients in southeast Alaska at the 2017 Rally for Cancer Care.

The outing, sponsored by the Wrangell Medical Center Foundation, generated more than $3,200 to help pay for travel costs that cancer patients have.

The Muskeg Meadows Golf Course hosted 34 players from Petersburg and 16 from Wrangell. Others came just to donate, participate in the silent auction and eat breakfast and lunch with the golfers, said Kris Reed, the development coordinator at the hospital.

"We had a great year," Reed said. "The weather thankfully held off so we could get most of the golf finished on time."

A second outing was played Sunday with 14 men, which also added to the final tally of donations, Reed said.

Since 2008, the foundation has awarded $71,000 in grants to more than 84 cancer patients who need to travel for treatment, she said.

"Most people have insurance for the treatment but not the travel," Reed said. "We would like to take pressure off those travel costs."

About $24,000 has been awarded in the last year, indicating that more people are hearing about the project.

"The word is finally getting out," Reed said. "And we really appreciate Petersburg for helping. It is so nice to have their support."

Some players on Saturday wore rain boots and pink cancer awareness hats - an outfit emblematic of how the outing focused mostly on raising awareness, not keeping score, Reed said.

Desiree Burrell, an organizer from Petersburg, called the event "frolicking golf." Some holes required the players to use one club and others mandated players swing with one foot in a bucket, among other challenges.

"And it's not all about raising money," Burrell said. "It's really about thinking about those we know who have had cancer, who are fighting cancer, and ultimately helping them through financial difficulties."