In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we would like for you to hear from a true hero. Mrs. Cathey Daniels is a cancer survivor who lives life to the fullest and is passionate about helping others.  An Art Teacher at New Madrid County Central Middle School, she is a regular attendee at the annual Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life banquet.  Mrs. D, thank you for inspiring all of us to cherish each moment and continue working to help area families battle this dreaded disease.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Women across America are reminding daughters, sisters, and mothers to self-check and get a mammogram. There are no valid excuses to skip either one of these.
In October, 2003, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had had seventeen years of mammograms and was very conscientious about self-exams. In 1975, a month after my daughter was born, I found a lump in my breast and had a biopsy and the lump removed. It was benign. Twenty-eight years later, that scar tissue was cancerous! Nothing unusual showed on the mammogram, but I had an inner instinct that knew that something was wrong. Perhaps the fact that I had lost my only brother to brain cancer only a month before made me more aware. Whatever the reason, I moved quickly, had cooperative, understanding, and knowledgeable doctors, and lots of people praying for me. After a radical mastectomy, I received 8 treatments of chemo. It was an awesome experience! I continued to teach, had no adverse reactions to the medicines, except for being very tired, and grew spiritually in ways that I cannot explain.
Today, I take no medication, and am cancer free! I still have blood work every 4 months, but that is a small price to pay for living. Cancer is a horrible word. Just hearing that you have it takes your breath away. But, research is moving at a fast pace, thanks to heightened awareness.
Of course, now it is my responsibility to try to encourage as many women (and men) with cancer as I can. And, I have two daughters and two granddaughters whom I want to save from this disease. I guess you would say that I’m “paying it backwards†instead of “forwardâ€. In 2004, Dr. Salamat, his nurse, Kim Peters, Dr. Reintjes, and I started a “Breast Cancer Support Group†at Missouri Delta Medical Center. We now have approximately 70 on our mailing list and 15-20 who attend the meetings at the hospital on alternate months. If you know of anyone who needs encouragement, contact me, so that I may invite them to the meetings. In August, Kim Peters shared “The Lydia Project†with our group, and The Standard-Democrat covered the story. This grass-roots organization supplies a hand-made bag full of treats (a journal, lotion, pen, etc.) to any female cancer patient in the United States. Now, our Support Group is helping supply these to women in our area. For more information on this, contact Kim Peters at kpeters@missouridelta.com. In addition, I believe that Relay for Life is a worthwhile organization for raising funds for research. Without the breakthroughs in breast cancer research of the last twenty-five years, I would just be a statistic. Of course, 18 Fore Life is an excellent avenue to helping cancer patients. I applaud and support this organization for the tremendously unselfish way that they disperse the funds that they raise. Opening an envelope with an unexpected check in it, with no strings attached, brings encouragement, love, and knowledge of real concern to the recipient.
Cancer is a monster! But—through the efforts of individuals and organizations who strive to make life safer and more bearable and with the help of God-given knowledge, the monster will be destroyed!
If you or someone you know has an inspiring story of battling cancer or surviving cancer and would like to share it with us, please use our contact page to get in touch with us.
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Posted: May 3, 2010 by Scott Kruse
Daily Statesman May 2, 2010 Article
We would like to thank Noreen and The Daily Statesman, along with everyone who made the time to join us for this picture. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in attending the banquet and golfing. Limited space in both is still available.
Click here to read the article.
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Posted: April 24, 2010 by Scott Kruse
18 FORE Life 10th Anniversary Meeting
The Daily Statesman is planning to print a tribute to 18 FORE Life and on Monday, April 26th they would like ANYONE that has been involved with our organization to meet at the BEC. Please see the details below. Hope to see you there!
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Posted: April 16, 2010 by Scott Kruse
18 FORE Life Golf Event Update
Well, here are things to keep in mind as June 4-5 approaches:
*Banquet tickets on sale NOW! Contact us now to reserve your seats before it is SOLD OUT! John Mabry, Kristi Whitehead, the LIVE! Auction, the food, The BUZZ, the fellowship, the celebration will be worth $25!
*If you are intending on golfing, contact us immediately to get one of the last AM or PM spots available.
*Golf Cart Raffle Tickets are on sale now. $10 for a chance to win a RED 2010 Yamaha cart given away at the banquet (need not be present to win!).
*Garden of Hope has grown each year! $20 to put a sign in the Garden memorializing and/or honoring your loved one. The sign will be put out each and every year from now on.
*If you would like to sponsor, volunteer, or become involved in any way, let us know!
If you have questions about any of this, email or call. Can’t wait to see you all. What a special time to
Celebrate | Give | Remember!!!!!!
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Posted: March 18, 2010 by Scott Kruse
2010 Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Charity Golf Event
Here is a little something to kick off our 2010 Golf Event Announcement. See if you can relate to this short video!
We are fired up to announce details about this year’s Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Charity Golf Event!
We are celebrating 10 years of raising money for families battling cancer and are making this year’s event a fitting tribute to the success we have had. We could have never gotten here without each and every one of our volunteers, supporters and sponsors. Thank you! And let’s make this our biggest year ever!
On Friday, June 4th, former St. Louis Cardinal John Mabry is joining us as our guest speaker at our banquet. His story of over-hustle, hard work, and being a St. Louis Cardinal through some of the team’s greatest years will be fun and inspiring.
Kristi (Richards) Whitehead will also be giving her testimony of courage and positive attitude as our love offering recipient and cancer survivor.
Along with some surprises, we will once again give away a new golf cart (BUZZ VI!), have GREAT items in a LIVE! Auction (anyone willing to donate their heads for shaving step forward NOW), and hear from The BUZZ as the night winds down, or winds up depending on how you look at it.
Tickets for the banquet will go on sale May 1st!
Golf Saturday
Saturday’s golf tee times will be 7:30 am and 1:00 pm! If you are interested in joining us, email or call NOW. And download the entry form by clicking here. This thing will fill up fast!
If you know of any businesses that would enjoy being a sponsor for this year’s event, please let us know. Contributions made by our sponsors help out our event tremendously. Also, we will be selling raffle tickets soon. If you have connections for acquiring Live OR Silent Auction items or door prizes….Go For it!!!!! we can never have too many.
See you in June!
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Posted: February 3, 2010 by David Robinson
Ten Pins For Ben is February 20th
In our first 3 years, we have sent in over $20,000.00 to St. Jude. This year we’ll add to that total and should be more fun than ever.
Click here for details.
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Posted: January 20, 2010 by David Robinson
18 FORE Life Golf Event – June 4 & 5, 2010
Mark your calendars for June 4-5 and join us in Dexter as we celebrate 10 years!!!!! Â I can’t believe our first golf tournament was that long ago and I sincerely can’t believe how we have grown in that amount of time. Â I hope 2010 is off to a great start for each of you. Â We will begin organizing and raising money soon, so any ideas you may have, please share them with us. We aim to put on our best event to date and look forward to seeing you there.
Banquet tickets will go on sale later in late April/early May!  Don’t miss this one. Golf Teams will be contacted to see if they want their spots back, then we will open it up and fill it up after that!
Thanks for all you do to support The Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Charity Golf Event. Â Ben would be so happy and so proud of our work. Â I know he is doing his part now to bless us and send good things our way. Â Something is telling me he would want us to set our goal pretty high this year after giving away over $100,000.00 in love offerings in 2009 alone!
Below comes to us from a friend named Debbie Rodewald. Â She has battled and is winning her fight against cancer! Â I believe her words and tone sum up what this charity is all about. Â You can feel the determination, the Faith, the hope, the appreciation for this life we are given, and the love for family and friends. Â Isn’t that what all of this is really about? Â I asked her about sharing her words with you and she said to share it with anyone it may help! Â Thank you Debbie for being a hero and motivating us all to live life to the fullest and to keep fighting this horrific disease.
I want to give my friends an update. Â Tomorrow morning I will have my port a cath removed. Â I am now a one year survivor and am told I am cancer free. Â My recent tests are all clear. Â I am on a five year treatment of one pill a day as a preventative and an injection every six months to prevent the pills from giving me osteoporosis. Â Yeah, one thing leads to another….go figure.
You all have been so faithful to keep me in your prayers and to email me throughout the year. Â I am so thankful for my friends. Â You will never know how much it has meant to me to get those emails of encouragement and to know there were people out there holding me up to the Lord in prayer. Â Last year was tough in some ways but such an enlightening and glorious year too. Â I know that sounds odd but there have been so many blessings for me last year. Â So many prayers answered. Â I have reconnected with so many old friends, made new friends and found relatives that I may never have had the chance to catch up with. Â All we ever hear in the news are the bad reports. Â I have been witness to many good reports…oh, I have seen the bad too but I have met so many people with so much hope! Â I ask that you continue to pray for me and I will pray for you too….we all need the support of others but keep those that are still struggling at the top of your list. Â Cancer has become the plague of our time and there are many who will not win their battle. Â Let’s keep them lifted up in prayer.
Again, thank you for walking thru this time in my life with me. Â I have felt your presence and I will always remember what you have done for me….whether it be prayer, a card sent, a call, a ride to one of my treatments or simply thinking of me..there are so many things you have all done to help me…..I appreciate you. Â I love you all! Â I am blessed!
Please keep in touch. Â Life is short and we need each other. Â LU Deb
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Posted: December 24, 2009 by David Robinson
Merry Christmas from 18 FORE Life!
Please take the time this holiday to read this inspiring article by Megan Leonardi, a senior at Fremont (TX) High School about keeping “the spirit of Christmas in our hearts year round.”
Click here to read the article
Merry Christmas!
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Posted: November 13, 2009 by David Robinson
LIVESTRONG Blog » The Fear of Recurrence After 13 Years
Article from LIVESTRONG staffer Chris Brewer about his fear of recurrence –
LIVESTRONG Blog  » The Fear of Recurrence After 13 Years.
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Posted: October 8, 2009 by David Robinson
Using Twitter to Beat Cancer
You have to read this story about the very unique ways one person is raising money for Livestrong and how Drew Carey has stepped up big time to help out.
Using Twitter to Beat Cancer
In 2010, as 18FL moves into it’s 10th year of helping out local families in Southeast Missouri, we’re looking for ways to increase our gifts to those that need our help. Let us know if you have any ideas to help build more awareness of the Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life Foundation and to help make 2010 our biggest year yet.
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Posted: October 2, 2009 by 18 FORE Life
Cathey Daniels – “Paying It Backwards”
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we would like for you to hear from a true hero. Mrs. Cathey Daniels is a cancer survivor who lives life to the fullest and is passionate about helping others.  An Art Teacher at New Madrid County Central Middle School, she is a regular attendee at the annual Ben Kruse 18 FORE Life banquet.  Mrs. D, thank you for inspiring all of us to cherish each moment and continue working to help area families battle this dreaded disease.
By Cathey Daniels (neenapeena4@yahoo.com)
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Women across America are reminding daughters, sisters, and mothers to self-check and get a mammogram. There are no valid excuses to skip either one of these.
In October, 2003, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had had seventeen years of mammograms and was very conscientious about self-exams. In 1975, a month after my daughter was born, I found a lump in my breast and had a biopsy and the lump removed. It was benign. Twenty-eight years later, that scar tissue was cancerous! Nothing unusual showed on the mammogram, but I had an inner instinct that knew that something was wrong. Perhaps the fact that I had lost my only brother to brain cancer only a month before made me more aware. Whatever the reason, I moved quickly, had cooperative, understanding, and knowledgeable doctors, and lots of people praying for me. After a radical mastectomy, I received 8 treatments of chemo. It was an awesome experience! I continued to teach, had no adverse reactions to the medicines, except for being very tired, and grew spiritually in ways that I cannot explain.
Today, I take no medication, and am cancer free! I still have blood work every 4 months, but that is a small price to pay for living. Cancer is a horrible word. Just hearing that you have it takes your breath away. But, research is moving at a fast pace, thanks to heightened awareness.
Of course, now it is my responsibility to try to encourage as many women (and men) with cancer as I can. And, I have two daughters and two granddaughters whom I want to save from this disease. I guess you would say that I’m “paying it backwards†instead of “forwardâ€. In 2004, Dr. Salamat, his nurse, Kim Peters, Dr. Reintjes, and I started a “Breast Cancer Support Group†at Missouri Delta Medical Center. We now have approximately 70 on our mailing list and 15-20 who attend the meetings at the hospital on alternate months. If you know of anyone who needs encouragement, contact me, so that I may invite them to the meetings. In August, Kim Peters shared “The Lydia Project†with our group, and The Standard-Democrat covered the story. This grass-roots organization supplies a hand-made bag full of treats (a journal, lotion, pen, etc.) to any female cancer patient in the United States. Now, our Support Group is helping supply these to women in our area. For more information on this, contact Kim Peters at kpeters@missouridelta.com. In addition, I believe that Relay for Life is a worthwhile organization for raising funds for research. Without the breakthroughs in breast cancer research of the last twenty-five years, I would just be a statistic. Of course, 18 Fore Life is an excellent avenue to helping cancer patients. I applaud and support this organization for the tremendously unselfish way that they disperse the funds that they raise. Opening an envelope with an unexpected check in it, with no strings attached, brings encouragement, love, and knowledge of real concern to the recipient.
Cancer is a monster! But—through the efforts of individuals and organizations who strive to make life safer and more bearable and with the help of God-given knowledge, the monster will be destroyed!
If you or someone you know has an inspiring story of battling cancer or surviving cancer and would like to share it with us, please use our contact page to get in touch with us.