ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A summer night at the ballpark: It’s a treasured tradition that begins with the national anthem.
However, this Friday at Frontier Field, the American flag was held by a group of cancer survivors and caregivers from the Wilmot Cancer Institute.
The cancer survivors had supporters with them for the big moment on the field, but off the field, that support can make an enormous difference.
It’s something two-time cancer survivor David Scheible knows well.
“The best way to get through such a health situation is by sticking to everybody that’s in it with you,” said Scheible, of Greece. “And banding together with everybody on the field tonight is a wonderful opportunity to show each other support.”
Both Crystal Gurney and her mother Jan were diagnosed with a rare kidney cancer. They used to come to Survivors Night every year. Crystal lost her mother in January.
“My mother was always very positive, even in the face of horrible diagnoses,” said Gurney, of Holley. “And I try really hard to remember that. Because when you get a cancer diagnosis, you kind of feel sorry for yourself for a second. But just kind of remembering this spirit of things, this camaraderie, and survivorship, and kindness to people you barely know. We have a shared experience that not everyone has.”
Organizers say it’s about finding the positive in that shared experience.
“There’s a community here in Rochester that have been impacted by cancer, survivors and caregivers,” said Tiffany Paine-Cirrincione of the Wilmot Cancer Institute. “And people looking for something positive to do from that experience. And this is one of the things we do to help with that.”
But it’s only one thing: Survivors Night at Frontier Field aims to raise awareness for the upcoming Warrior Walk September 10th.