Editor:

Words cannot express our gratitude to the people of Refugio County for helping to make the Joe Barber Memorial Relay for Life held on Nov. 8-9, 2008, a great success.

The Relay Steering Committee is to be commended for a job well done. These committee members took care of their part of the relay in an excellent fashion so that when it all came together it was great!

The committee was made up of the following: Banking - Toni Rodriguez, Flo Tolivar, Kayleigh Harris and Michelle Mascorro; Sponsorship - Carol Smith; Registration - Denise Rosas, Diana Perez and Linda Amador; Luminaria - Debra Moore, Johnny Lamprecht and Karen Allen; Teams Development - Nancy Keyes; Teams Recruitment - Boogie Barber and Deb Weber; Survivors - Jennifer Perez-Lara, Betty Bauer, Carolyn Hughes and Patti Borglund; Survivor’s Dinner - Rev. John Alsbrooks; Baskets - Cecelia Bauer; Publicity - Addie Ochoa; Entertainment - Beth Linscomb assisted by her son, Chase Linscomb; Advocacy/Education - Minnie Lu Sutton; Logistics/Cleanup - Gary Bourland and his helper, Raul Saenz. Nancy Hillis, the American Cancer Society Staff Partner from the Victoria office was also a great help.

Many thanks to the Refugio County Fair Association and County Judge Rene Mascorro’s office for the use of the fairgrounds and Expo Building. Butler Oil and Tool Co. and Mr. Tommy Butler graciously provided generators and lighting the for the entire evening.

Mr. Louis Willeke and Refugio Co. Memorial Hospital provided the midnight meal of sandwiches and chips. Mr. Grady Cartwright of Rockport provided his excellent sound system along with his crew all night long.

Chase Linscomb kept music and chatter going on all night long which helped keep people awake! Debra and Ken Moore of Greenhouse Cleaners donated the printing of all the relay shirts with our local information - no small task.

Refugio H-E-B Store donated fruit for the walkers as well as lighters for the luninaria. The Refugio Dairy Queen donated many cases of bottled water. Rev. John Alsbrooks, L&L Bar B Q, and David Newman provided and cooked the food for the Survivor’s Dinner.

Thanks also go to the Refugio County Press for printing all the articles on the relay and helping publicize the event. The Refugio Police Dept. also provided security for the banking hours. Smith Services provided printing and postage for the sponsorship mailings.

Other loyal sponsors who so generously contributed to the Relay For Life include: Gary Wright, Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, L.L.C., Vincent E. (Binkie) Heard Family, Greg and Deb Weber, Betty Bauer and Family San Antonio National Bank- Refugio, First National Bank of Woodsboro, Refugio Lion’s Club, Woodsboro Lion’s Club, In Loving memory of JoAnn Pfiehl. Scooter Kamm Physical Therapy, Moya’s, Cage - In Memory of Tommy Hobbs, Refugio Co. Chamber of Commerce, Refugio Extension Education Asso., F.B. Rooke & Sons, Wilkinson Chevrolet, Veronica and Ramiro Rocha Jr., Refugio Volunteer Fire Dept., Chris Bush, Louise Anderson family, Kids Day Care Center - Tom & Sheryl Ponce, Refugio Animal Hospital - Dr. & Mrs. C. E. Pfeil, Village Pharmacy, Daughters of Santos Garza Martinez, Beta Sigma Phi, Refugio County Retired School Personnel, Jack Slack Engineering, Moore Funeral Home, Texas Star, Refugio Woman’s Club, Fesco, Gerald and Janelle Morgan, Judy Niemann Insurance Agency, In Memory of Vernon ‘Bud” Barber, Johnny Ramirez, David & Dana Alsop, Larry & Debbie Jones - In Memory of James & Shirley Baucum, Stripes, Refugio Credit Union, Cathy and Mike Linney, Liz Hernandez, Kenny & J. Henry Moore, Lynette Nixon - In Memory of James & Shirley Baucum, Midcoast Lease Service, Robert E. Rooke, Jr. In Memory of Mike Lee, In Honor of Mary Perez (RES), and Bayside Grocery.

Thanks also to Father Philip for saying Midnight Mass in the Expo Building and to Rev. John Alsbrooks for doing the Sunrise Service at 6 a.m. The sunrise that morning was absolutely beautiful and seemed to say, “There is HOPE that cancer will be defeated someday!”

My apologies if I have forgotten to thank somebody. Money is still coming in but at last count we had raised over $57,000! Not bad for a small community like Refugio County, especially in this day and time!

Thank you again everybody! Let’s do it again next year and the next year! One day we will beat this dreaded disease of cancer!