THE RACE AGAINST CANCER

Bailey Arnold may have just turned a teenager, but she’s already involved in the race against cancer in a couple meaningful ways that could produce lifetime results.

The eighth grader teamed up with her mother, Mandy Arnold, to serve on the Steele-Waseca Relay for Life committee. Bailey joined three years ago already and is the youngest person to serve on the committee. And now she has literally taken things into her own hands by starting a crocheting business to raise funds for this year’s cancer campaign.

With no prior knowledge of crocheting, Bailey said she self-taught herself simply by watching videos on YouTube. Since March, she has been crocheting many different things and selling them to friends and family and at shows. Bailey, who operates as Sweet B Creations, made a personal commitment to donate 25% of proceeds to Relay for Life.

“I was part of the committee, so I decided to donate,” Bailey said.

At Saturday night’s Relay for Life at the Steele County Fairgrounds, Bailey turned over a check of $843 to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Bailey’s earnings became part of the overall goal of $65,000 to $70,000 organizers hope to raise from this year’s campaign.

Rick Jeddelow, senior community manager with the ACS in Mankato, accepted the check from Bailey. “For her to make that kind of money and to give it back, how many kids would do that,” Jeddelow said.

Bailey has become passionate about cancer since her brother, Bradley Arnold, came down with wilms tumor, a childhood cancer that starts in the kidney, when he was 5 years old. Now 12, Bradley is cancer-free.

Mandy Arnold joins in on her daughter’s passion.

“I wanted to give back because everyone was so gracious when we were going through it,” said Mandy Arnold.

For those in attendance at the Relay for Life, it proved to be a night marked with celebration, remembering, fighting back and hope.

Jeddelow shared his own battle with prostate cancer 13 years ago when he had a 2-year-old daughter. “I never knew if I would get to watch her grow up,” he said. But, thanks to generous people who donate for cancer research, he has been able to win the fight.

“Thank you for giving me the gift of watching my girl grow up,” Jeddelow told the crowd. “It’s because of you.”

He pointed out how people help other people without even knowing it. For example, the ACS operates the Hope Lodge in Rochester where cancer patients can stay for free during their hospitalizations at Mayo Clinic. So far this year, Hope Lodge has been used 148 nights, Jeddelow said.

Jeddelow has developed a motto that he lives by from the word, hope, which to him means help other people every day.

 “That’s what Relay for Life is—people are helping other people and not even know it,” he said.

This year’s Relay for Life featured Tracy Granquist as the honorary chair. She has been battling an aggressive form of skin cancer since last August. Realizing she had little to no options left, Granquist began taking a trial drug that hasn’t even been approved yet to this day by the FDA.

“I decided we had nothing to lose,” Granquist said as she fought back tears. “We were desperate.”

In July, Granquist found the cancer had been cleared from her body. “No one could believe it,” she said, adding “doctors were shocked.”

For Granquist, life’s priorities have shifted since her grim diagnosis. “I’m not taking one day for granted. I’m living life to the fullest,” she said.

Relay for Life committee members plan to keep volunteering 100-150 hours every year.

“When you’re a part of a committee, it’s hard to leave it,” said Mandy Arnold.

And for Mandy, she’s especially proud of her daughter getting involved at such a young age.

“She loves to volunteer,” Mandy said. “I couldn’t be more proud. She just has such a good heart.”