Walking the talk

The dreary skies and pouring rain couldn’t dampen the determination of Charlene Coffman and Vicki Hogan.

The two women began walking around the track at the Greyhound Park Event Center in Post Falls at 6 p.m. on Friday.

By Saturday morning, they were still there, logging mile after mile around the track for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

“We all have someone in our lives that’s been affected by cancer,” said Coffman. “It’s a very scary thing.”

Coffman has four relatives who died from cancer: her birth mother, her adopted mother, her stepmother and birth father.

So four years ago she jumped at the chance to participate in the cancer society’s largest fund-raiser, now in its 13th year in North Idaho.

Participants join teams and take turns walking, jogging or running during the 18-hour marathon. Since the event goes through the night, teams set up a tent city in the infield of the track, taking naps between turns.

The teams also raise money all year long by organizing raffles and other activities. Raffles are also held at various campsites during the relay.

Coffman is the team captain of the Mountain West Bank Team, and this year more than 60 Mountain West employees joined the team. Together they raised more than $4,000.

“Each year it just gets bigger,” Hogan said. “The support is amazing.”

The event begins with a “survivor lap.” More than 300 cancer survivors walked the opening lap on Friday night, event organizers said. Luminarias are set up around the track for those who didn’t win the battle, to guide the way for walkers and runners through the night.

“We find the survivor lap to be truly meaningful because we know a lot of them,” said Cindy Shannon, who works in the cancer center at Kootenai Medical Center. “We get to see our patients out there, living and walking. It’s humbling.”