Friends taking another turn as Holiday Luminary Project chairs

SEARCY — Greek philosopher Plato once said, “There is no harm in repeating a good thing.”

CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary members Karen Davis of Searcy and Elizabeth Heard of McRae must be subscribing to that philosophy this holiday season, as they are both taking a second turn as co-chairwomen of the upcoming CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary Holiday Luminary Project.

“Actually, it’s my third time, but who’s counting?” Davis said, chuckling.

Traditionally, since 1990, the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute/Searcy Auxiliary has launched the holiday season by outlining the White County Courthouse for two evenings in early December with luminaries sold in honor or memory of area individuals.

The 21st annual CARTI/ Searcy Auxiliary Holiday Luminary Project is scheduled for Friday and Saturday evening in downtown Searcy.

“To me, it just starts the whole Christmas season off with a glow,” Davis said. “It just sets my heart right.”

Luminaries are sold for $10 each and can be purchased in person at CARTI/Searcy, 405 Rodgers Drive, or by calling the center at (501) 268-7870. Sales for this year’s luminary project will continue until the lighting of the luminaries on Friday. Members of the auxiliary will be at the courthouse about 4 p.m. each day to prepare for each lighting, which will take place shortly after dark. All proceeds directly benefit CARTI/Searcy and area cancer patients.

Longtime friends with a lot in common, both Davis and Heard’s mothers were charter members of the CARTI/ Searcy Auxiliary. Likewise, both women found themselves becoming increasingly active with the CARTI Auxiliary following the conclusion of their working careers.

“I always said that when I was no longer working, I would be both an active auxiliary member and a CARTI volunteer,” Heard said.

Having first joined the CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary in 2002, work obligations originally prevented Heard from being as active as she had planned. Since retiring in 2008, however, she has been making up for lost time. In 2009, as a newly “active”member, Heard spearheaded the group’s Holiday Luminary Project, and in 2010, Heard served as auxiliary president.

“I don’t know how I ever had time to work,” she said, joking.

Davis, an auxiliary member since 1999, also has a history of commitment to the organization’s work on behalf of the local cancer-care facility. In addition to having served as chairwoman of the Luminary Project twice previously - once by herself, and once as co-chairwoman with fellow Auxiliary member Hettievee VanPatten - Davis also served two back-to-back terms as auxiliary president in 2002 and 2003.

Aside from their volunteerism and work on behalf of CARTI/Searcy, Heard and Davis each have more personal connections that help motivate their efforts - both of t h e i r fathers were cancer survivors and formerCARTI patients.

While Davis’ father received treatment at CARTI/Searcy, Heard’s father required daily radiation therapy treatment at CARTI before the cancer care provider actually had a local facility in White County.

Heard recalls firsthand when daily radiation treatment meant daily trips to Little Rock for many White County cancer patients, so for her, the convenience of having state-of-the-art treatment and technology close to home holds special significance.

“Families in this area no longer have to drive to Little Rock for their treatments,” Heard said of the impact CARTI/Searcy has had since opening its doors in 1988. “Patients can be treated right here in the community where they live.

“My parents experienced having to make trips to Little Rock every day for weeks on end. The extra wear and tear of those daily trips, in addition to the emotional strain, made for some long and tiring days.”

Heard said this is one of the reasons her mother joined and helped establish the CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary.

“Not only to support the cancer treatment purpose of CARTI,” Heard said, “but also to support having such a resource available locally in White County.”

Community loyalty is what Davis and Heard point to as having helped turn the CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary Holiday Luminary Project into a White County holiday tradition.

“Our community is a giving community,” Davis said. “All of our profit stays right here at CARTI/Searcy, and that means a lot to the people of White County.

“This is our only fund raising project for CARTI/Searcy. We always set a goal to have more contributions this year than the last year. We realize it’s sometimes hard for people to continue to give as they have in the past, but we have such a loyal community that I am always surprised by the amount that is raised each year.

“If you ever enter the doors of CARTI/Searcy, you know that every hour worked or any contribution made is needed and used wisely for the benefit of all that are treated there.”

Members of the CARTI/ Searcy Auxiliary have used funds from past luminary projects to fund everything from medical equipment and supplies to magazine subscriptions for the facility waiting room and gifts for patients receiving treatment during the holiday season.

“They are all about doing anything that will benefit the patients who come through our center,” said Cindy Wyatt, CARTI/Searcy facility director. “They offer not only their financial support, but their daily presence in our facility serving coffee or juice or simply sharing conversations provides an invaluable service to our patients.”

Wyatt credits the hard work of CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary members for the continued success of the project. Last year, the Holiday Luminary Project raised more than $5,000. This year, the auxiliary hopes to raise funds to procure a hydraulic patient-lift system to assist CARTI therapists in providing greater ease of treatment for patients with limited-range movement.

“Their compassion and service are irreplaceable,” Wyatt said of CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary members. “They are, most often, the first face our patients see when they enter our facility.

“They are always there with a warm smile, a kind voice and a gentle spirit, ready to serve and care for these patients in whatever way they can. They are so committed and dedicated to CARTI. We are very blessed to have such a wonderful group of volunteers.”

Rather than being heralded for their individual efforts as Luminary Project chairwomen, Davis and Heard are quick to acknowledge the power of the CARTI/Searcy Auxiliary as an organization.

“It is always exciting to see everyone come together to complete the project,” Heard said. “It takes all of us to make this happen, not just one or two people.”

Three Rivers, Pages 54 on 12/01/2011

Print Headline: Friends taking another turn as Holiday Luminary Project chairs