C is 4 Cure helping conquer cancer

C is 4Cure: Relay for Life team holding fundraiser March 3 at the Kallet Civic Center

ONEIDA » While some people might try to hide from the disease, Connie Skinner has a powerful message as a cancer survivor.

“I just want to raise up my hand and say, ‘I won!’ she said. “Cancer didn’t beat me.”

And now she wants to give back to help other cancer survivors through support of the annual Relay for Life of Madison County, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. As captain of the C is 4 Cure team, she leads a group of friends -- also including Wendy Chamberlain, Linda Fisk and Greg Halpen -- in organizing sales and activities to help raise money for the cause.

The group is hosting a Hoedown Barn Dance at the Kallet Civic Center on March 3, complete with line dancing, awards for the best country-themed attire, a photo booth, a barbecue, more than 30 raffle baskets and gift cards, and the country music of the Nelson Brothers Band. The dance is just one of many fundraising opportunities the teamwill offer during the time leading up to the Relay itself.

Skinner said she knows of the importance of the work of the American Cancer Society after going through her own journey with the disease. She recalled that some 11 years ago, on a routine visit with her eye doctor, she was found to have a spot like a freckle or mole in her eye. They watched that spot, but unfortunately it soon changed into something much more serious -- she was diagnosed with melanoma, but an incredibly rare form of the disease that was only found in some 1 in 250,000 people.

She was then making trips every three months to the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia for radiation treatments. Although she ended up losing sight in the one eye, the cancer didn’t spread, so she is thankful about that. Skinner knows the American Cancer Society, who fund research in all known forms of cancer, had a big part in helping her keep her eye. Just a few years earlier, if she had been diagnosed with the same condition, that

“I just want to raise up my hand and say, ‘I won! Cancer didn’t beat me.”

— Connie Skinner

eye would likely have had to be removed, she said.

But it wasn’t an easy road, and made even more challenging by the rarity of her form of the disease.

“I felt very alone since it was so rare,” she said. So Skinner sought out others in similar situations, and was told about the Relay for Life of Madison County, an annual event happening in Oneida each spring. She said she was especially drawn to the event because of its own positive message.

“I like that it is a celebration of cancer survivors,” Skinner explained. The first lap of the event is always survivors walking by themselves, wearing special purple survivor shirts, andis an inspirational sight to see.

“It is very emotional to walk in that, especially the first couple of years,” she recalled.

But walking wasn’t enough for Skinner, so she decided to create a team with friends and they joined the Relay for the first time last year. Raising funds for the American Cancer Society means they can help funding all kinds of research, plus other ACS outreaches like donating wigs to women whohave lost their hair from the disease, and providing counseling for anyone struggling through their own journey, Skinner said.

The C is 4 Cure team made a big debut at last year’s Relay, earning the honor of “Rookie of the Year” team for their fundraising efforts, where Skinner says they “came on like gangbusters.” In addition to their upcoming Barn Dance, their past activities have included working wing night fundraisers at the Munnsville American Legion, hosting a Paint and Sip event for aspiring artists, working concessions at the Dome, and selling ground coffee.

“We don’t sit idle -- we like to fundraise all year long,” she said.

The Kallet dance is their largest endeavor to date, however. Skinner promised it will be a fun time for a good cause -- and guests should expect the unexpected.

“We have some surprises in the works,” she promised.

The Hoedown Barn Dance is March 3 at the Kallet Civic Center, located at 159 Main St. in Oneida, and runs from 5 to 11 p.m. Advance sale tickets are $22 for a single or $35 for a couple and available now from any team member. Tickets will be $25 and $40 at the door. Admission is open to guests 16 and older.

For more information, find them under “Hoe Down Barn Dance Oneida” on Facebook.

The Relay for Life of Madison County is June 2 from 4 p.m. to midnight at Vet’s Field, located at 360 N. Main St. in Oneida. For more information, to join a team, or to make a donation, visit: www.relayforlife.org/madisoncountyny

PHOTO COURTESY OF WENDY CHAMBERLAIN The C is 4Cure team, including, from left, Connie Skinner, Greg Halpen, Linda Fisk, and Wendy Chamberlain, was named “Rookie of the year” at last year’s Relay for Life of Madison County in Oneida in May 2017.

PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH BY MIKE JAQUAYS Wendy Chamberlain, left, and Connie Skinner share the story of their C is 4Cure team and its support of the Relay for Life of Madison County with the Oneida-Sherrill Lions Club at their Feb. 13meeting in Kenwood.

FILE PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH BY MIKE JAQUAYS C is 4Cure team captain Connie Skinner says her favorite part of the Relay for Life of Madison County is celebrating cancer survivors, seen here walking their own lap around the Oneida High School track in 2016.

FILE PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH BY MIKE JAQUAYS Tim Crofton of Oneida offers some of the most touching moments of the Relay for Life of Madison County as he leads a silent memorial lap around the Oneida High School track in May 2017.