By RAEGAN NEUFELD
Tiger Media Network
An annual fundraiser for the Cancer Council of Ellis County, the Twist Out Cancer Yoga-Thon, is set for next week.
Participants can register in teams of up to 10 people for a fee of $50 per team. At least one person from each team must participate in each of the five yoga sessions. Participants are encouraged to collect donations before the event, and whoever collects the most donations will win a Lenovo tablet. The team that does the most hours of yoga will be recognized at halftime of the Fort Hays State University men’s basketball game on February 22, 2025.
The Cancer Council of Ellis County provides financial support for cancer patients, as well as vouchers for nutritional supplements and free assistance equipment loans. According to Anita Walters, a Health and Human Performance instructor at FHSU, the event started five years ago when Steve Sedbrook, chair of the department and a member of the Cancer Council, mentioned the need for a fundraiser.
“The biggest thing is to show your support for all of those who have lost loved ones, who have lost the battle and those that are currently fighting cancer,” Walters said. “Just be there to show support for them and obviously raise some money. The money all goes to individuals fighting cancer and their families right here in Ellis County.”
Walters encouraged participation not only to raise money but also to learn something new if they have never done yoga before.
“If you want to come and support and participate but you don’t feel like you’re capable of doing all the poses, I just finished my doctoral dissertation on yoga with older adults living in assisted living facilities, so I know how to modify it,” she said. “Someone could participate, even if they’ve never done yoga before.”
Twist Out Cancer is one of two yearly fundraisers that benefits the Cancer Council. The organization also uses funds from donations and grants to provide financial support to those fighting cancer. According to Executive Director Paula Flesher, it is common for the money to go towards travel expenses, especially for children with cancer or patients with a rare type of cancer who cannot be treated in Hays.
“Cancer treatment is expensive,” she said. “When somebody can’t work because of it, that cuts into their finances big time. Our money that we give to them is just a drop in the bucket for their total expenses, so we try to help relieve a little bit of stress for that individual.”
In past years, the Cancer Council typically provided financial support for approximately 18 people. However, Flesher said last year, they helped 25 individuals, so the expenses increased, and they have already helped 21 people this year.
“It’s been in a lot of people’s families, and I don’t know of a lot of people that don’t know of somebody that hasn’t had cancer or is dealing with cancer,” Flesher said. “We just try to help them as much as we can.”
The Twist Out Cancer Yoga-Thon is set for 3-8:00 p.m. on Nov. 14 in Cunningham Hall 122. Registration closes at 12 p.m. on Nov. 8.