By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Starlight event for the Cancer Council of Reno County started around 15 years ago with an idea from Sandy Woodson.
"I had read a book to my children in school is how this all went back," Woodson said. "They lighted lanterns for those who had passed and those who were battling a disease. I thought, that would be kind of cool to do for cancer patients. We came back, we had a board member's husband build a boat, a wooden boat and we had a little flag that went on it and we launched them at Lake Talbott and it was beautiful."
The logistics work a little better on Cow Creek, though, because they can pick the boats up downstream, instead of having to take boats out to get the lit ones. The hope is for good weather.
"If it is raining, we won't be able to do it," Woodson said. "We do light candles, versus using the battery operated candles, so it will be weather permitting."
If you want to be able to use pictures and things like that on your lantern, you can get the paper in advance.
"We have cut the lantern part of it that they can decorate," Woodson said. "They can put pictures on it. They can write names on it. They can do anything they want and bring them that night and give them to us and we'll slip them down on the boat. If you cannot do that ahead of time, however, we're going to have some tables set up with markers and all kinds of things to decorate, so you can actually decorate down at the park."
Starlight will take place Sunday, October 10th at Avenue A Park in Downtown Hutchinson at 6:30 p.m. Local music group, The Typsy Gypsies (Morgan Wilk, Cassie McDonald, Dayton Hodson & Tom Faulkner), will be providing music for the evening.
The Pointe School of Dance, Glenda Boor and students, will be performing throughout the evening also. Boats will sail about 8:00 p.m.
For additional information about CCRC, visit www.cancercouncilrenocounty.org, or call the CCRC Office at 620-665-5555.