Submitted by Jen Peddlesden

The Chestermere Cougars are a ladies ringette team, which has played in Chestermere since 1985.  We were not always called “the Cougars,” that name was adopted a few years ago when we got these great new grey shirts with cougars on the front!  Our motto for 2011 is “Cougars — on the Prowl for a Cure.”
The Relay for Life Team from the Chestermere Cougars consists of 16 team members and friends, Angela Cranston, Cherryl Blais, Jeanette Simeonidis, Jen Peddlesden, Kathy Adams, Laura Hanlon-Tilston, Lisa Hasenbohler, Lori Lombardo, Lynn Butters, Melissa Buxton, Melissa Connelly, Penny Quigley, Shannon Borbandy, Tricia Van Tol, Violet McKibbin, and Yuriko Boyce.
The life of each team member has been touched by cancer.  Our ringette teammate Karen Marjoram lost her battle with cancer in 2006.  We are privileged to have Dani and Penny, our survivors as part of our team.  On June 24, we will be honouring these women and also, as our stories explain, the other loved ones and friends who have succumbed or are with us today.  We are Relaying for all of them — and for all those of you who are pledging each of us, and the Cougar Team.

Here are some of our stories:

“I attended last year’s Relay for Life in Chestermere and was very moved when they did the victory lap at the start of the relay and thought the entire evening was an amazing inspirational event for such a great cause.” 
- Angela Cranston

“…I can’t imagine losing any else to this horrible disease. I knew I had to participate again this year in their memory. I could no longer sit back and talk about how a cure needed to be found.” 
- Cherryl Blais

“Breast cancer took my sister at the age of only 35 years old, she left behind a five-month-year-old baby and a husband.” 
- Kathy Adams

“I am participating in the Relay for Life to give hope to those of us who have lost family and friends, for my very dear friends who are still fighting the battle and for those of us who have.”  – Penny Quigley

“My reason for walking is that my mom and my brother have both had cancer. Because of fundraisers such as this one, there has been research and discoveries that have helped to save their lives. – Violet McKibbin

“Breast cancer took my mom and my aunt in November 1974. They died just three days apart.” – Jen Peddlesden

“My mom’s name was Hazel Zimmerman-Deleske, she passed away from lung cancer 22 years ago at the age of 45.”
- Lisa Hasenbohler

“I lost my Mom to cancer on April 20th, 1995 just 3 weeks before my 21st birthday. I watched the most vibrant and amazing woman shrink down to 68lbs.|  – Yuriko Boyce

Note: All submissions were edited for space, and the full-length entries will be available at theanchor.ca. The 2011 Chestermere Relay For Life takes place on June 24. For more information about the about the event, visit convio.cancer.ca and search for Chestermere.