Relay for Life 2022

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Celebrate life it is so very precious! 25th Annual

Relay for Life

PAINT THE TOWN PURPLE Jun

Of Western Stearns County

e 19-24, 2022

Businesses and residents are encouraged Paint the Town to Purple by being crea window paint, tive: utilize purple signs, balloons, put up purplethemed displa bows, storefronts/win ys do ws, swap out w in bulbs for purp hite le bu lbs, select everyone to w ear purple, or sha day for ow your Relay For Life sw ag!

Friday, June 24, 2022 • 4:00 pm – Midnight Stearns County Fairgrounds - Sauk Centre, MN RelayForLife.org/saukcentremn

A Team Event to Fight Cancer! • 4:00 p.m. ...........................Relay Kick Off Survivor Booth will be open 4-6 for registration

• 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. ...............Silent Auction

• 6:00 p.m. ................. Opening Ceremony Opening Prayer with Pastor Kyle Survivor Speaker Kristi Wielenberg

Survivor Lap • Team Lap

• Dusk ..................... Luminaria Ceremony • 9:00 p.m. .........................Raffle Drawing • 11:30 p.m.................. Closing Ceremony Games will be played throughout the evening

Life-changing diagnoses shared by sisters Kinzel tells story to help others by SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

Sisters Kathy Pritchard (lleft) and Carol Kinzel have each undergone the same surgery to remove the same kind of tumor on the same-side ovary. COURTESY OF TIGER LILY PHOTOGRAPHY.

BELGRADE – Carol Kinzel had a tumor the size of a grapefruit removed from her ovary, and when she came out of surgery, was told she’d have a 50/50 chance of surviving five years. The news was devastating, life-altering. Though she’s still alive 15 years later and cancer-free, she still breaks down in tears talking about that day. “It still takes my breath away,” she said. Kinzel has done what she had to in the years to follow. She had a hysterectomy at the same time her tumor was removed, she underwent genetic testing and, based on the results, had a prophylactic mastectomy. Her sister, Kathy Pritchard, who lives in Missouri, did too – because as Kinzel was in the chemotherapy chair in the weeks following surgery, Pritchard was diagnosed and had the same surgery to remove the same kind of tumor on the same side ovary. “That’s just not supposed to happen to sisters,” Kinzel said. They underwent genetic testing to find out they both have the BRCA-1 gene, which can predispose a person to other cancers. They’ve encouraged their family members to get tested. They also made a promise to one another to seek out, and participate in, clinical trials in hopes that no one else in their family would have to go through what they’ve been through. Both sisters are doing clinical trials through the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Despite Kinzel’s unusual story, many of the people she associates with don’t know it. “I won’t wave that cancer flag because I won’t give cancer that opportunity,” she said. Instead, she focuses on living. She works to fill each day with something productive. She loves to travel, see new things and spend time outdoors in nature. Visualization, meditation KINZEL continued on page 3

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