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Charity run brings together all walks of life for noble cause

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Lake
  • 321st Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq --  According to American Cancer Society estimates, more than 560,000 friends and family members were lost to cancer in 2010.

Six weeks after Staff Sgt. Tyler McInturff deployed to Kirkuk in January, he received devastating news that his aunt had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

"Being my godmother, she's been very close to me my whole life," explained Sergeant McInturff, 321st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron noncommissioned officer-in-charge of fuels distribution, who grew up in North Canton, Ohio. "I wanted to support her in her fight from afar since I could not be with her."

That's when Sergeant McInturff talked to his co-worker about an upcoming charity event in the city just outside their home station, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The two decided to bring it up to the base's committee for junior NCOs, commonly known as the 5/6 Club.

"[Before] deploying I was asked by the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life coordinator, Dee Hayhurst, if I would be interested in doing something for Niceville's upcoming event while serving in Iraq," said Staff Sgt. James Fillers, a 321st ELRS fuels accounting technician and avid runner from Johnson City, Tenn. "Once I got to Kirkuk a week later, Sergeant McInturff and I went to the base's 5/6 Club meeting to pitch the idea of doing something for the relay."

After weeks of coordination and help from volunteers like Tech. Sgts. Caylene Pavich and April Hewitt in their squadron, the plan was in place to hold a 5K Relay for Life Run/Walk April 2. Despite all the planning and preparations, the organizers were caught off guard by the enormous show of support when the day finally arrived.

"I never could have imagined us having the turnout we did here at a deployed location," McInturff said after nearly 200 people showed up for the event. "I anticipated around 30 or so members and set our initial goal for donations at $1,000, which as it turned out, we almost reached in cash donations alone."

Sergeant McInturff said he was proud when he saw not only Airmen and U.S. Army soldiers show up to the event, but Iraqis and U.S. contractors as well.

"It was a perfect example of the many different people from different services, even different parts of the world, coming together for a single cause. That is what made this such an awesome event," he said.

In just a week's time leading up to the corresponding race in Niceville, organizers at Kirkuk have managed to raise nearly $4,000 in cash donations and online contributions.

"We currently have 94 team members, but we won't have our final numbers until the actual relay [in Niceville] April 15," Sergeant McInturff said.

Plans are already in place for a "Team KRAB" tent to be set up at the Niceville race where people will be able to make donations to Kirkuk's team.

"Currently, we are the largest team, member-wise, and possibly raised the most donations in the shortest amount of time," said Sergeant Filler. "We're sending all the video and pictures we took here at Kirkuk to Eglin. Reta Engel, our relay contact back home who provided us with T-shirts and ideas for the race here at Kirkuk, is having a banner made and is going to set up a booth with the videos and shout-outs playing."

Recent studies show promise for cancer patients. The survival rate for all cancers between 1999 and through 2005 is 68 percent - up 18 percent from another study between 1975 and 1977, according to American Cancer Society studies online.

As of April 12, Team KRAB was $125 short of their new $4,000 fundraising goal. To see their fundraising progress, visit the team's donation page for the American Cancer Society here.