News & Events

“It’s unbelievable what they have done,” said Tom Moss, the park manager. “It shows incredible heart.”

For their size, raising more than $20,000 is unusual, said Elise Aubourg, The American Cancer Society’s Manatee County community representative.

“We should put an American Cancer Society office right in Horseshoe Cove and I would like to run that office,” Aubourg quipped. “Just the fact that they have been able to raise this much money in a small park and have a mini-relay is amazing. And they have so much fun doing everything they do.”

“We’ve had a number of RV parks put on mini-relays, but not enough,” Aubourg added.

All the funds Horseshoe Cove raised will be part of the American Cancer Society’s Ellenton and Parrish relay to be held May 7-8, Aubourg said.

Although the fundraising is important, the meaning of the event tops that, said Linda Hager, a seven-year breast cancer survivor and Horseshoe Cove resident, who, with her husband, Alan, were the chairpersons for the event. The Hagers had a committee of 18 residents helping them.

“We both felt we wanted to give back,” Alan Hager said.

Aubourg said the funds from Horseshoe Cove will stay local and go for much-needed patient services as well as research and education.

“There is no finish line until we find a cure,” Linda Hager said.

The 270 luminaries were lit at 7 p.m. and all began to float in the kidney-shaped community swimming pool.

“My heart skipped a beat,” resident Ann Jerman said as she listened to Josh Grobin’s “To Where You Are.”

Tuesday’s activities began with a Survivor Reception. There were roughly 75 cancer survivors clad in purple in attendance.

The reception included testimonials from a half-dozen residents, many of whom wept before their friends. They stressed that they are available to talk to others who are about to go through what they went through.

“Everyone in this room has been touched by cancer,” said Horseshoe Cove resident John Gheer.

“Everyone here needs to encourage those we care about to be screened and tested so if they need be they can be diagnosed and treated early and they will be survivors, too. I say this because 19 years ago my wife, Susan, asked me to go to a free screening for the prostate and at that screening they found something that was of concern. Had Susan not encouraged me and had I not gone to that screening, my cancer might not have been caught at an early stage.”