 |
| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet Everyone will be celebrating cancer survivors on Dec. 14 during the second annual Bling event at the Limestone Community School. Cancer touches the lives of so many in the county, including event organizer Jennifer Poitras, a Title 1 math and reading teacher at the Limestone Community School and 6-year-old Jazmine Wilkins, who’s father is a 12-year survivor of cancer. Many will wear their support proudly by donning bling-tastic T-shirts, as the two are shown holding. New to the event this year, cancer survivors who purchase T-shirts can take them to Boulevard Graphix in Limestone to have a golden survivor ribbon screened onto the sleeve. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — While every day is a triumph for cancer survivors, Dec. 14 is one day when survivors’ victories will be celebrated publicly by a Bling-clad crowd of supporters and empathizers from all over Aroostook County.
For the second consecutive year, members of Limestone High School’s varsity basketball team will be trading their Eagles Orange for Survivor Gold uniforms and facing off against the Easton Bears in a friendly spirited (though fiercely competitive) regular season game at the Limestone Community School on Wednesday, Dec. 14.
Previously called “It’s All About the Bling,” the event now just goes by “Bling.” But while it dropped much of its title, the event has maintained all its excitement and enthusiasm.
Last year’s Bling event was deemed a tremendous success by organizers, spectators and participants alike, packing Limestone’s gymnasium with about 800 spectators and raising approximately $5,000 for cancer victims while celebrating all who overcame their struggle with the disease and remembering those who didn’t.
The origins of Bling are traced back to a simple story of a community inspired by the quiet courage of one young man who immediately battled back after losing half his leg to cancer — he even resumed his place on varsity squad shortly after the amputation.
Zach Cote’s story was so inspiring that he was featured even by major media outlets like ESPNRise.com.
A senior this year, Cote is still an inspiration to his school and his community and quite possibly one of his biggest fans, fellow cancer survivor Jennifer Poitras, a Title 1 math and reading teacher at LCS.
Poitras is the creative mastermind behind Bling and as exceptional as last year’s event was, this year is shaping up to be equally impressive — after all, it is Cote’s last year at LCS.
But Bling has morphed far beyond what even Poitras had initially dreamed up. The event is still held in honor of Cote, but Bling has gone from celebrating a survivor to celebrating all survivors. There are other changes to the event, like the fact that there won’t be a silent auction but there will be a health fair (though there will still be a 50/50 drawing with additional prizes being raffled off through the tickets), and there will still be bling-tastic events held throughout the evening topped off by that unparalleled spirit exuded by those in the packed LCS gymnasium.
“I was absolutely thrilled with the success of last year‘s Bling event,” Poitras said. “I think it really showed the true spirit of the people of [The County] and the people of this school; it showed empathy and compassion to open their hearts and embrace Zach and his story as well as supporting people with cancer across the county,” she added.
Though the event is only two weeks away and the greater Limestone community is just starting to get Bling on the brain, Poitras is confident that the community will turn out in full force, just like last year.
 |
| Joe LaPierre, owner of Boulevard Graphix in Limestone and the designer of the new Bling logo, carefully smoothes out the Bling board, announcing the second annual event at the Limestone Community School. |
“At this time last year, few people even knew about Bling, but it grew and grew into something spectacular,” Poitras explained. She’s even heard that students from other schools (aside from Easton and Limestone) will be making the trip this year to sport some bling and celebrate survivors.
The iconic T-shirts have a new Bling design for 2011 and feature two new facets this year: survivor ribbons and acknowledgement of primary event sponsors. T-shirt purchases also automatically enter the wearer into raffles for a television and two one-year fitness memberships to the Caribou or Presque Isle Inn and Convention Centers.
For free, survivors who purchase bling T-shirts can bring the apparel over to Boulevard Graphix to have a golden survivor ribbon printed on the sleeve, as there’s really no greater place to wear one’s victory.
The backs of the T-shirts feature the names and logos of 10 sponsors: Caribou and Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center, Trombley Construction, Boulevard Graphix, Maine Visalus, Northern Prosthetics, C.S. Management, Pelletier Properties, the Maine Military Authority Walk Team, and Al-Bear’s Restaurant. In-kind sponsors include Good Vibrations, Becky Shea Photography and Flik Independent Dining.
While the new Bling shirts certainly stand out, there’s other attire that Poitras excitedly described: the boys team won’t be along in donning bling-tastic jerseys this year; ample sponsorship has afforded Bling organizers the opportunity to outfit members of the Limestone/MSSM varsity girls basketball team with their own golden jerseys.
The girls play at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 14 with the boys game following at 7; bling events will be held throughout both games and, while survivors will be celebrated throughout the entire event, cancer veterans will be particularly honored during a special half-time celebration.
Some major guest speakers are tentatively slated to attend the event, though Poitras could not confirm their attendance as of Tuesday afternoon.
Guests aside, there are some surprises to be revealed on Dec. 14 that are so big, Poitras could hardly keep the secret hidden behind her smile.
“I won’t tell you, but it’s as Bling as it gets,” she said.
