Family plans to walk in Relay as a team in honor of Duncan

Jennifer Duncan Smith’s grandfather, Raymond Duncan, did the opening prayer at the Relay for Life event last year.
Duncan did the prayer for several years, until he lost his battle with cancer last November.
This year, the Duncan family will walk as a team, in memory of Raymond.
“Now that he’s not (here), it doesn’t seem right that we’re not involved,” Smith said.
About three months ago, Smith said her family began talking about having a team for this year’s event. While some family members had walked his survivor lap with him in previous years, they had never had an actual family team. This year’s team has 27 members.
“We’re a pretty big clan,” Smith said. “Our whole family is participating (this year).”
Duncan’s six living children and their children will participate, as well as five great-grandchildren.
Smith said her grandfather was very involved with Relay, going to monthly meetings and collecting money for the event.
“He was proud to say a few words at the beginning,” Smith said.
The Duncan family also remembers another family member who lost her fight with cancer, Raymond’s wife, Kathleen. Kathleen Duncan died from breast cancer in January of 2003.
Smith said the family wants to carry on something that was important to Raymond, and said they will continue to participate for years to come.
The Duncan family is just one of three new teams signed up for this year’s Relay for Life event, taking place June 8 and 9. The first team captains’ meeting for this year’s event was March 1.
Kim Furnish is part of a new team from Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. Last year was her first year attending the event.
Don Dempsey, also a member of Mt. Pleasant Baptist, asked if Furnish wanted to partner with him to start a team. Dempsey’s wife and brother both had cancer.
Soon after last year’s event, Furnish found out her own husband was diagnosed with cancer. She decided to get involved with Relay.
“It’s overwhelming,” Furnish said. “Everyone has been touched by cancer.”
So far, Furnish has 12 people from her church signed up on her team.
“Everyone was anxious to be a part of it,” she said.

The team started fund-raising early, making an announcement in the church last October saying they needed donations. A burgoo supper was held and Furnish said she had hoped they would raise about $800. They raised more, receiving over $1,200.
“It’s something the community wants to take seriously,” she said.
Furnish said she thinks that these efforts bring the community closer. She hopes to contribute to this year’s event and be a part of the “big picture.”
People of all ages are involved on the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church team. Whether it is older people in the church or children, everyone is doing what they can to help.
“(We) have people who can’t walk a whole lot,” she said. “But they want to at least do a lap (at the event).”
Though this is a new experience for her, Furnish said she hopes she can work year-round to get ready for the event.
Carla Rohling is also the captain of a new team this year. A member of Long Ridge Baptist Church, Rohling has been a part of Relay before, participating with her daughters’ girl scout troop and with Remax in Grant County in previous years.
“You’d be lucky to find someone who hasn’t been touched by cancer,” Rohling said.
Rohling’s aunt suffered from breast cancer. Even after a double mastectomy and rounds of chemotherapy in 1984, Rohling said her aunt lived “a wonderful life” for 20 more years. That was the first person who she knew personally was affected. Since then she said, other friends and family have had to fight the disease.
Rohling said she enjoys being a part of the event for many reasons, like getting to talk and walk with friends. She’s also impressed by the luminary display – where a candle is lit in a bag with the name of a person who is fighting cancer or who has died from it.
“When the whole ball field is lit up with the luminaries, it’s amazing,” she said.
This is the first year Long Ridge Baptist Church has had a team in Owen County’s Relay for Life event. Rohling said there are team members from ages 12 to 60.
The hardest part for Rohling is trying to come up with different ideas for fund-raising. She said she hopes to get the youth and the church’s pastor involved.
She said she wants the members of her team and church to realize what the event is. She wants them to have a good time together while supporting a good cause.
“There’s no barriers,” she said. “Everyone is together, working toward a common goal.”
Owen County’s Relay for Life is from 7 p.m. June 8 to 7 a.m. June 9 at the Owen County High School football field. For information about forming a team or assistance with an existing team, please contact Melissa David at (502)484-6262 or Jill Dunavent at (502)484-0166.