Page 2 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025
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Page 4 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Before the fun begins, there is a lot of work involved in the Pink Pumpkin Auction Long before the actual event, there is a lot of planning that goes into the annual Pink Pumpkin Fundraiser Auction to Benefit the American Cancer Society. There are meetings of the planning committee that this year consisted of Karen Castelein, Annie Coers, Cindy Guyett, Jennifer Luckhart, Angela Reiners and Nila Smith. At those meetings there are a variety of topics that have to be discussed. The first meeting is always to talk about what went right at the last event, what went not so well, and what needs to be done to make it all better. Always at the forefront is trying to come up with a better way to make check out at the end of the night easier and more streamlined. Each year, the committee comes up with a new or at least modified plan for that in the hopes that they will some day get it just right. Then there are the lists of things to do in preparation for the night of the event. Arranging for tables, chairs, and volunteers. Making a list of possible businesses, organizations, and individuals that can be counted on to donate items for both the live and silent auctions and talking about food and beverages to be served are also important lists that are compiled. Then as the weeks progress, items on those lists are checked off and new items are added until the committee reaches a point where they feel they are as prepared as they can possibly be. That feeling comes about an hour before the doors open at Collision Concepts on auction night. This year, the committee was blessed with some unexpected help, such as the digital billboard on Woodlawn Road, where the ad for the auction was placed courtesy of the event auctioneer, Ty Tucker. Annie Coers, from the first National Bank of Tremont, also promoted the event on their digital sign at the Lincoln Banking Center on Woodlawn Road.
Page 5 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Collision Concepts went pink on its digital sign. Lincoln Daily News posted their sandwich sign on the sidewalk in front of the office on Broadway Street in Lincoln and also did regular advertising in LDN for about six weeks prior to the auction. Noah Atkinson at Lincoln Printers has a big role in the work of the planning committee each year and is standing at the ready to provide what is needed in the line of yard signs, and other materials. Part of the final countdown a few days prior to the auction is the placement of roadside signage printed by Atkinson. At the corner of the front lawn of Collision Concepts large banners are set in the ground, adding another layer of promotion, courtesy of Lincoln Printers. Throughout those weeks before the auction, items are coming in and stored at LDN. There are photos taken of each donation, and a catalog constructed to be a guide for the night of the auction as to what is a silent auction item, what is live auction, and who was the donor.
Page 6 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Then, when the day arrives, there is a flurry of activity as all the bits and pieces of the auction come together in the body shop area of Collision Concepts. Right after lunch on auction day, the shop is emptied out of all the vehicles being worked on along with all the tools and equipment that is not stationary to the building. The floors are polished one last time and all is made super clean.
Page 7 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Continued -- Tables are brought in from the Logan County Fairgrounds by Brad Matthews and his crew. The staff at Collision and the Mathews crew get everything set up then tables are swiped clean and covered in preparation for the displaying of auction items. Chairs are donated for the evening by Peasley Funeral Homes in Lincoln and hauled in and set up by Collision crew. The large parts room in the front half of the Collision building is also cleaned to perfection and set up with tables where food will be served throughout the evening. One of the offices is filled with balloons filled with helium donated by NAPA Auto Parts in Lincoln. Those will be brought out after all the auction items are placed to help decorate the tables for the event. The Matthews crew hauled in all the auction items from LDN and the Collision crew helped get everything placed on tables. Nuthatch Hill arrived with food and started setting up and the posed photo location was set up and ready for the arrival of guests.
Page 8 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 There were also tables that had to be set up for the sale of luminaria and mystery bags. Computers were used this year for check out along with a Square credit/debit card processor. All those had to be set up and ready for the evening. By 4:30 p.m. everything was coming together nicely. Volunteers were arriving to take their place at specific work areas. Bill Post and Tonita Reifsteck took their standard location at the luminaria sales table. Mike and Nancy Cunningham and Janice Funk took charge of the mystery bag table. Annie Coers was stationed in the front lobby, handing out paddles along with pamphlets about the work done by the American Cancer Society around the world, across the country, in Illinois and in Logan County. Food was laid out, and all was as good as it was going to get for the 2025 Pink Pumpkin Auction. The only thing left was the arrival of guests when the doors opened at 5 p.m.
Page 9 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 There was no time wasted in that area, even before 5 p.m. guests were in the house shopping the silent auction items, taking a look at the live auction items, enjoying the great food and drink, and anxiously awaiting 6:15 p.m. when the life auction would begin. [Nila Smith]
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Page 24 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Live Auction event brings lots of fun and cuteness On Thursday, October 2nd, the doors opened at 5 p.m. at Collision Concepts for the annual Pink Pumpkin Fundraiser Auction to benefit the American Cancer Society. Guests arrived early and were more than ready to enjoy the silent auction portion of the event, and the food that was offered beforehand. The serving line for the food was manned by Jennifer and Malina Luckhart and Jackie McCray, while Laura Long and Mindy Miner were overseeing the service of a variety of wines and beers along with Tammy Mullins and Kathy Gooden. The supper menu included pulled pork sliders, chips, coleslaw, and a variety of mini cupcakes. As guests walked in the door, they had an opportunity to take a paddle for the live auction from Annie Coers, then were invited to stand for a posed picture before hitting the food line. Posed pictures were taken by LDN staff JA Hodgdon-Ruppel and Angela Reiners. The silent auction ran from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and provided shoppers with more than 100 items to choose from. Also going on at that time was the sale of luminaria overseen by Bill Post and Tonita Reifsteck and the sale of mystery bags, overseen by Mike and Nancy Cunningham and Janic Funk. At 6 p.m. the silent auction was closed, and the Pink Pumpkin planning committee came to stand in front of the audience to welcome all guests and get the live auction going. The planning committee consisted of Karen Castelein, Annie Coers, Cindy Guyett, Jennifer
Page 25 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Luckhart, Angela Reiners, and Nila Smith. They were joined at the front of the building by Erv Guyett. Guests were welcomed and thanked for their attendance. Cindy Guyett delivered a special thank you to Jeff Toenjes with PPG Glass and Dust & Sons for pitching in to cover the food costs. Attention was also drawn to the large thank you board on display that listed all the donors of items for the two auctions as well as other supporters who contributed to the success of the evening. Before starting the auction, a moment of silence was observed for those whose names appeared on the luminaria that had been placed on the floor along the live auction tables. Because there was a pamphlet produced this year that offered information about the work of the American Cancer Society including services provided in Logan County, there was no need to mention that information during the welcome, which meant that the auction got started within just a few minutes.
Page 26 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Logan County Fair royalty was introduced, with Junior Miss Courtney Cecil and Little Miss Vayda Farmer serving as the “Vannas” for the evening. Then auctioneers Ty and Cody Tucker were introduced, and the final leg of the evening was underway. Among the high-ticket items this year was the pink pedal tractor donated by Central Illinois Ag and Darren Schempp of Atlanta. The tractor sold to Tim & Liberty Canady of Modern Brake in Lincoln for $1,000 with a match made by Lincoln Daily News for $1000, making the total sale $2,000. Also hitting the $1,000 mark was a hot air balloon ride for two donated by local balloonist Seth Goodman. The high bidder was Sarah Herron of Salus Wellness. That bid was also matched by ME Realty of Lincoln to a total sale of $2,000. A Yeti cooler filled with Yeti and Cintas products and swag was donated by Cintas and brought in $850 for the American Cancer Society. The item was purchased by Kannon Brown. One moment of cuteness was caught on camera by LDN photographer Stephanie Hall when Barbara George won the bid for a little minion-like fellow created by Carol Charron
Page 27 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 and donated by LaForge Automotive Repair in Lincoln. When the high bid was announced, the Junior Miss and Little Miss delivered the item to Barbara and her little girl Sophia. Then they spent some time celebrating the win with Sophia. This year there was another special item donated to the auction by the 2024 Little Miss Logan County Fair Olivia Harmsen. Olivia put together a basket of her “Favorite Things” that included lip balm, pink nail polish, a $50 Sorrento’s Pizza gift card, and popcorn from Abe’s. She also included in her favorite things baking, with cookies she made herself, and crafting with a sun catcher and gift tags that she had also made. When her item was on the block, Olivia joined Jr. Miss Courtney and Little Miss Vayda in showing off the item which was purchased by Tim & Libby Canady of Modern Brake for $225. There were more than 50 items in the auction, and all of them were amazing. Some of the other items that gained a lot of attention from bidders was the pink bicycle that came back to the auction for the third year. The bike arrived on the scene first at the 2023 auction, donated by Annie Coers and Tremont Bank and purchased by Laurie Paige of Bee’s
Page 28 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Landscaping. A few days after the auction, Paige brought the bike to LDN and said she wanted to donate it back for the next auction. LDN stored the bike for a year, then brought it back in 2024. The second year, it was purchased by Greg Patel who after the auction told Erv Guyett that he too would be donating it back for the next auction. Therefore the bike returned in 2025 and was sold again to the benefit of the American Cancer Society. Other fun items offered in the auction included a pink battery powered child-size Bentley convertible that could also be operated by remote control. The audience enjoyed watching the little car roam driverless across the span of the live auction area. A hand made breast cancer awareness flag, donated by Michelle Bauer was a popular item and a pink camouflage pumpkin stack with a hunter’s cap and bow and arrow donated by Bee’s Landscaping was also a delight to see. Marsha Hurley blessed the auction with her third handmade quilt in as many years, and Kathleen Brumbaugh donated her traditional survivor blanket, made from survivor t-shirts from past years Relay for Life events. Georgia Green donated a beautiful patriotic quilt that was another popular item at the auction.
Page 29 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 One lovely surprise of the evening was the high bid brought in by a counted cross stitch farm scene donated by Mark Seggelke. The lovely, framed piece was popular with several bidders, but won by only one. Jane Bryson finally delivered the winning bid of $1,025 for the beautiful work of art. After just right at 90 minutes, the auction came to a conclusion with the final item being a VIP cinema basket donated by Vonderlieth Living Center in Mt. Pulaski. The item was won by Laurie Paige of Bee’s Landscaping for a top bid of $280. Carrying on what is becoming a personal tradition of buying and giving away goodies. Paige gave the bucket to Junior Miss Courtney and Little Miss Vayda as a special thank you for a job well done at the Pink Pumpkin Auction. With the auction completed the final step of the evening was the check out stations manned by Amanda Bowman and Cassie Follis of Collision Concepts and Devyn Fry and her fiancé Gabe VanSlambrouck of Lincoln Daily News. While this is always the most challenging part of the evening, the staff handled it well and, for the most part, buyers were patient waiting their turn. All of the money raised on Thursday night goes directly to the American Cancer Society to benefit of all cancer warriors in Logan County. In 2024 the ACS provided 104 overnight stays for warriors who had to travel out of Logan County for treatment and from January to August 2025 55 stays with a total value of $24,250. In addition, $237,350 was invested in grants for patient transportation and other services to 15 hospital and health care systems in the central Illinois region. The Pink Pumpkin planning committee and its support team wish to express their heart felt appreciation to all those who donated to the 2025 auction and to all those who attended and made purchases. Whether it was a small
Page 30 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 item bought at the silent auction or a $1,000 winning bid at the live, every penny gained is going to help someone in need in the coming year. The committee counts every dollar as a blessing and a strong motivator to keep the momentum going for years to come. [Nila Smith]
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Page 46 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Judy & Dean Kukuck Katie Fry Laura & Ray Skelton Marsha Hurley Strike Pose a
Page 47 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Cindy Guyett and Alice Engle Dave & Christy Aue Kacia & Barb George Donna Wyles and Angie Bramwell Jonathan Carter Joy Rogers, Carolyn Pech and Pam Turner
Page 48 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Billie Huskins Marcia Hoyt and Wes Carman Doug & Pat Piper Amy Ingram and Roger Skelton Carol Robb, Donna Miles and Jan Eskra Heidi & Steve Browne
Page 49 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Billy & Christina Hall Kevin & Linda Ray Lisa & Rich Champley Karter Sarff and Gentry Fangmeier Chris & Tia Coyne Nancy Schaub and Marge Mecina
Page 50 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Matt Builta, Cari Monroe and Baby Jake Kodi and Erika Eigenbrod Chuck & Jamie Johnson Amy & Tom Gallagher Jessica, Sophia, Sadie and Jace Goodman Karter Brown and Abby Biggs
Page 51 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Jeff & Jennifer Bergman and Tara Comstock Kelly VanKooten and Jordan Don Peasley and Sheryl Wendell Crystal Bale and Emily West Tara Morris and Sarah Herron Josh Moughan and Serina Hopkins
Page 52 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Pam Dammerman and Ashley Horton Sophia George Kelly, Cody and Ty Tucker Senator Sally Turner Becky & Brian Jasman and Cameron Brad & Laura Long
Page 53 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Chris & Ashley LaForge and Lorelei Tami Goodrich and Elaine Aue Colby & Dakota Leith Chris & Kristen Fulscher Cory & Leslie Chung and Cameron Jessica, Sawyer, James and Juniper Shaner
Page 54 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Courtney and Melissa Cecil Lois Renfro and Litzi Bautista-Sanchez Donna Miles and Grace Crowell Cindy & Erv Guyett 2023 Little Miss Logan County Kodi Eigenbrod and 2024 Little Miss Olivia Harmsen Donnie & Amanda Bowman
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Page 56 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Nancy Schaub Elaine Aue and Tami Goodrich Cory & Leslie Chung and Cameron Martha Simmons David & Melissa Berberet Vicky & Brian Jasmon and Cameron
Page 57 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Laura Huebner Kevin and Matt Huebner Michelle Bauer 2025 Little Miss Vayda Farmer and Jr. Miss Cortney Cecil 2025 Little Miss Vayda Farmer and Jr. Miss Cortney Cecil Cindy and her crew
Page 58 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Nila & Richard Smith Angela Durbin and Scott Hayes Emmery & Brett Boward Adam & Joshua Crockett Jennifer & Malina Luckhart and Jackie McCray Cody, Ty and Kelly Tucker
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Page 60 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 Turning awareness into action: American Cancer Society recognizes 40 years of breast cancer awareness month This October, the American Cancer Society (ACS) commemorates the 40th anniversary of the founding of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In 1985, ACS co-led the effort to start Breast Cancer Awareness Month as a weeklong campaign to educate women about the importance of early screening and routine mammograms for breast cancer detection and treatment. In 2025, more than 316,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States, making the efforts of the awareness month increasingly important. According to the ACS’s Cancer Facts & Figures 2025 report, approximately 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during their lifetime, and 1 in 43 will die from the disease. However, there has been tremendous progress; ACS researchers project that by 2035, the number of breast cancer survivors will reach 5.3 million. Today, ACS encourages everyone to turn awareness into action in the continued mission of ending breast cancer as we know it. To combat the disease and support both individuals and their families going through a diagnosis, ACS funds research that advances prevention and treatment efforts, advocates for equitable access to care, and provides programs, services, and science-based cancer information, helping to ensure that no one faces breast cancer—or any cancer—alone. “As we look back at 40 years of breast cancer awareness, the number 40 is significant. Breast cancer mortality is down more than 40% and 40 is when women should start having a conversation with their doctor about getting a mammogram,” said Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer at the American Cancer Society. "ACS is proud to have played a significant role in the advancement of breast cancer research and the development of innovative patient support tools.” For the past four decades, ACS researchers and scientists have been an integral part of breast cancer therapy breakthroughs: 1980s-1990 BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are discovered, and the FDA approves the drug Herceptin 2000s Breast cancer stem cells are identified 2010s Triple-negative breast cancer immunotherapy approved 2020s mRNA-based breast cancer vaccines show promise, and liquid biopsies projected to expand Despite these breakthroughs and advances in early detection and treatment, alarming
Page 61 2025 PAINT THE PAPER PINK Lincoln Daily News Oct/Nov 2025 disparities remain for Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander, and Black women. In 2024, ACS launched the VOICES of Black Women study to address these ongoing cancer disparities and to better understand cancer risk and outcomes. “Due in part to the work of the American Cancer Society, 3 in 4 women are now up to date on screening, which is the greatest reason mortality has reduced,” said Kamal. “But 1 in 4 are not up to date, and we need to close that gap. That’s why this October, we’re encouraging everyone to do more than wear pink, to go beyond ribbons and awareness, to take action. Because every action counts.” Learn more and ways to take action at www. cancer.org/BreastCancerAction. About the American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 110 years, we have been improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. We are committed to ensuring everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. To learn more, visit cancer.org or call our 24/7 helpline at 1-800227-2345.
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