Page 4 2023 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2023 On Thursday, October 6, 2023, the Friends & Family Relay for Life team hosted its annual Pink Pumpkin Fundraiser Auction at Collision Concepts in Lincoln. It was a record night in many ways. A record turnout of about 300 people, and a record fundraising experience that brought in just over $37,000 for the American Cancer Society. The evening focuses on breast cancer as October is Breast Cancer Awareness month across the nation. Even so, the evening was truly about cancer warriors of all types. Early in the evening a special presentation by Kathleen Brumbaugh highlighted the efforts of two outstanding volunteers for Relay for Life, Bill Post and Tonita Reifsteck. At one point during the presentation, Brumbaugh asked for a show of hands of those who were breast cancer warriors and/ or survivors. Many hands went up. Later Brumbaugh would ask how many in the room had cared for or assisted in anyway a breast cancer warrior. Again, there were many hands that went up. It was a living illustration of the many, many cases of breast cancer that are diagnosed each year. The planning committee for the auction had come to the front of the room. Those people were Karen Castelein, Annie Coers, Cindy Guyett, Jennifer Luckhart, Nila Smith and Chassidy White. Unable to attend was committee member Noah Atkins. Others that were on hand and helping for the night included Friends and Family Relay team members Janet Cook, Nancy Cunningham and Janice Funk. Also helping for the evening were June Novak-Bock, Alice Engle, Bill Post, Tonita Reifsteck, Mike Cunningham, John Castelein, Richard Smith, Lesley Bridge, and the entire crew at Collision Concepts. Another important helper for part of the night was a breast cancer survivor named Pamela Baker. Baker had called Castelein a couple of weeks prior to the auction and explained that as a very recent warrior and survivor she Continued --
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