Owls win and so does cancer fundraising campaign: Thousands raised by Marshall students

A few women look at the posters hung on the football field fence. The "Wall of Fame" display at the Marshall Owls "Football in Pink" game Friday night, Oct. 10, consisted of posters created by volunteers to honor cancer survivors or memorialize loved ones lost to the disease.
(Geoff Rands/Democrat-News)

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Marshall Public Schools and St. Peter School both made donations to Fitzgibbon for amounts of $2,519.75 and $1,370.18, respectively.

The nearly 400,000 pennies raised by students will go toward a digital mammography machine for Fitzgibbon's forthcoming cancer center.

From left, state Rep. Joe Aull, D-Marshall, stands as Superintendant of Marshall Schools Craig Noah, President and CEO of Fitzgibbon Hospital Ron Ott, Mammography Technologist Liz Kennon, Radiology Manager Courtney Angelhow and Mammography Technologist Marla Robbins, all of Fitzgibbon Hosptial, accept and display documents thanking them for their efforts toward making "Football in Pink" a success.
(Geoff Rands/Democrat-News)

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Some had prayers, quotes and song lyrics, and most featured a collection of photos of both the deceased and their families.

State Rep. Joe Aull, D-Marshall, presented checks and documents honoring the efforts of various participants to Ron Ott, president and CEO of Fitzgibbon and Craig Noah, superintendant of Marshall Schools, prior to the halftime show by the MHS Marching Band.

"We're gonna whip cancer," said Aull.

He added, "It's been a community-wide effort. This is the epitome of what helping others is all about."

Many others echoed his statements, thanking the community for their support.

"This shows what a community can do when they come together for a good (cause)," said Ott. "This has been a first-class effort."

Ott also spoke of the potential he sees in the program to grow into a state-wide effort for next year.

"We really appreciate the community's support," said MHS Principal Carol Smith. "It started with football, and just mushroomed into all the activites that wanted to be invovled. We got full-fledged support from the students, and kids always enjoy whent they can be part of the community."

"Three words, (Football in Pink,) just became this huge thing," said Courtney Angelhow, radiology manager at Fitzgibbon. "(Students) have opened their arms and gone above and beyond anyone's expectation."

Many people contributed to the success of the new project, according to hospital officals. Among the leaders were Courtney Angelhow, Elizabeth Kennon, Marla Robbins, Jeanette Klinge, Scott Latham, Craig Noah, Kevin Hart and local businesses Viking Athletic and Sturhahn Jewelers. The Fitzgibbon Fundamentals Office also contributed to the cause.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net