Hollywood in the foothills at 2014 Relay for Life

by Laura B. Monteros

“Hello, Altadena!  Truly you are the Hollywood Hills today,” Joe McGowan cheered as he opened the annual American Cancer Society Relay for Life Altadena at Farnsworth Park on Saturday.  The pastor of Altadena Community Church and hospice chaplain for Kaiser Permanente gave the invocation for the Hollywood-themed event.

Hollywood has shining stars  on the Walk of Fame, he said; “Here we have shining stars embedded in our hearts.  We celebrate our shining stars.”

With one goal met and another in sight, event chairs Heather Morrow and Virginia White started the celebration on a high note.  Relays for Life are held throughout the world to raise funds to “Finish the Fight” against cancer.  Altadena’s goals were to field 20 teams and raise $30,000.  Before the walkers took a step, the 20 teams had raised more than $26,000.

The top fundraiser and the only one to reach the platinum level of $7,500 as of midnight Friday was Big Trouble in Little La Canada.  Morrow had a hand in that; she gave them the final $10 to put them $6 over the top.  Altadena Community Center was close with $6,550.

Each of the 13 booths had a Hollywood theme and games, raffles, activities, food or merchandise to match.  Folks could get a picture with a superhero cutout, participate in a Pink Panther scavenger hunt, bling a luminaria bag like Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or “Kick Cancer’s Derriere” a la Rocky.

Filling in for Altadena Sheriff’s Station Capt. John Benedict, who could not make the event, McGowan presented a proclamation from Supervisor Mike Antonovich.  The County Dept. of Parks and Recreation provided the use of Farnsworth Park and the booths at no cost.

The keynote speech was given by breast cancer survivor Ida Rosenberg, marking “17 months, three weeks, and one day cancer free.”  She said a sense of humor and determination to survive helped her defeat cancer.

“I was diagnosed four days before my 55^th birthday and two days before our dog of 15 years died.  It was the worst birthday ever,” Rosenberg said with a smile.  Telling her family, especially her mother, was very difficult, she said, and when her mother was diagnosed 10 months later, she understood why it was so hard for her sons to accept their mother’s vulnerability.

“As cancer survivors, our stories are different,” she said, “but what is the same is our shared bond.”

The first lap of the relay was taken by cancer survivors, followed by caregivers.  They were led by bagpiper Jennifer Febre, major of  Pasadena Scottish Pipes and Drums, wearing the official California State Tartan of meadow green, Pacific blue, with gold, redwood, and sky blue stripes.

By the 9 p.m. luminaria ceremony, Relay for Life Altadena had raised $29,500, and that was before all the money from the booths was in.  After a moment of silence, the Rev. Betsy Hooper-Rosebrook, Associate Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, shared her own experience with thyroid cancer.

She spoke about the after—learning she had cancer last August, after she had lost her grandfather, mother-in-law, and father to cancer, after her sister had been diagnosed, after having buried too many people with cancer.

“When it comes to cancer, the after part is big,” she said.  “There are a lot of changes—body, mind, and soul—for the one who has cancer and the ones around them….  Tonight, we’re here to redeem the after.  We can’t change what happened before.”

What’s most important, she said, are the memories that remain, and those should be celebrated.  “Even after all that, the light still shines…. Even after all that, living is more powerful than any disease.”

Febre led the last lap around the lit luminarias, closing with “Amazing Grace,” and the luminarias spelling HOPE were lit.  The 24-hour event continued into the morning with all-night movies and a pancake breakfast.

Laura Berthold Monteros writes about Altadena, the Tournament of Roses, and other subjects at: