SAN JUAN ISLAND

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San Juan County - Relay for Life 2006

San Juan County - Relay for Life 2005

Eve Burton's annual Thanksgiving message

San Juan Island Breast Cancer Walk 2002

San Juan Breast Cancer Support Group Meets

Free Air Transportation for Cancer Patients

Eagles (from the left): Dave Marsaudon; Eddie the dog; Lanny Carver; Dick Babbitt; Dane Armstrong; Rick Thompson, Vicky Thalacker; Carlo Franciosi; Joan Hill; Ray Bigler; Lainey Volk; John Geyman; Greg Gerhardstein; and George Mulligan.

posted 03/15/2007
The San Juan Eagles are celebrating more than five years of serving San Juan Island cancer patients with free custom flights to and from the mainland for cancer treatment. Thirty-two pilots have flown more than 400 flights to Skagit Regional Airport, Bellingham International Airport and Anacortes, as well as to Seattle destinations since the Eagles inception in November, 2001. The pilots have donated their time and plane costs to this program.

Patients flying to Skagit Regional (Burlington) have use of a car donated by Foothills Pontiac Buick Toyota in Burlington for transportation to nearby treatment centers. Bellingham Air Taxi provides a courtesy car for patients flying to Bellingham.

Cancer patients wishing to fly must not be acutely ill and must be able to enter and exit the plane.

If you would like to have more information about this service, please contact Vicky Thalacker at 360-378-4578 evenings, 378-2300 days or by E-mail at sjs@rockisland.com.

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor sponsors this program. They provide ferry tickets to cancer patients. Please call Mary Kate 378-7275.

American Cancer Society Awards $4K to Soroptimists

posted 08/30/05
Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor recently received a $4,000 gift from the American Cancer Society's Great West Division for a local Cancer Support Program. Donations from the public and from the American Cancer Society Relay for Life have made this possible.

The Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor sponsors the Cancer Treatment Support Program that provides transportation for cancer patients on the island who need treatment on the mainland. Ferry tickets are provided for those who do not wish to fly. The program is completing its fourth year and has provided transportation for over 100 cancer patients from San Juan Island.

The San Juan Eagles, a group of volunteer pilots, donate their time and plane costs to fly patients to various airports near treatment facilities. Once patients are delivered to the mainland, car transportation is provided by the Soroptimists Cancer Treatment Support Program. Transportation assistance for cancer patients is a vital form of support. The cost of travel for receiving treatment away from home can be a serious financial burden on patients and families already dealing with the cost of treatment.

The American Cancer Society is proud to support the work of Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor. Their work to improve the quality of life of cancer patients is to be commended. For more information on Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor, or the Cancer Treatment Support Program, please contact Vicky Thalacker at (360) 378-2300. For cancer information or support, contact your American Cancer Society anytime, day or night, at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit us online at www.cancer.org.

Fund established for cancer patients' transportation

posted 05/27/04
A fund has been set up by the Soroptomists International of Friday Harbor to help provide transportation to their medical appointments for cancer patients. The San Juan Eagles Treatment Support Mission Project has been providing free flights for cancer patients. Establishment of this fund will help support that program and also provide some financial assistance for ferry tickets.

Breast cancer patients have been able to receive financial aid to help with transportation through a grant from the Susan B. Komen Foundation. The establishment of this new fund will provide travel assistance to other cancer patients on San Juan Island.

The Soroptimists have applied for a grant through their national organization and a bank account has been set up for the fund. Donations can be sent to:

Soroptimist International Friday Harbor
PO Box 2856
Friday Harbor, WA 98250

Cancer patients can fly with the Eagles

posted 04/23/03
San Juan islanders battling cancer can cross one obstacle off their list - transportation to treatment centers. The San Juan Eagles Treatment Support Mission Project provides free flights for cancer patients to mainland medical facilities. The group is made up of 28 pilots who volunteer their services.

The idea started after Soroptomists International of Friday Harbor organized transport for breast cancer patients. Vicki Thalacker, who has been a licensed pilot for 25 years, realized there was also a need for transportation for other cancer patients. She organized the group last year. More than 40 missions were flown in 2002.

"It takes energy to fight cancer," she said. Traveling by ferry for a 15-minute radiation treatment takes three hours round-trip not counting the time spent waiting in line. Flying takes only 20 minutes each way.

Thalacker is passionate about the project. She said, "I dedicated this project to two of my friends who died from cancer, particularly Faye who bravely fought cancer for 25 years." Besides flying patients herself, she organizes the schedule for the group.

After a patient contacts her, she sends out an email to the pilots telling them when flights are needed. They let her know which flights they can cover. In an interview, April 21, 2003, she said most patients have treatment once or twice a week. One patient is about to begin a month-long daily treatment schedule. Pilots have signed up to transport the patient to all of the appointments.

The service is available to all cancer patients, the only restriction is they must have the ability to exit the airplane in an emergency.

Thalacker is looking for more pilots to join the project. A sign-up form is available at the end of this article. She said the group has pilots from a variety of professions. Some are retired. The group members are anonymous.

Thalacker can be reached at sjs@rockisland.com

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