Wings Week kicks off Saturday with several events

The Western News

It’s been over 10 years since the inception of the fund raising Wings Week in Lincoln County.

Originally started in 1995 with an anonymous donation of $15,000, Wings is a regional cancer support system for those enduring cancer treatment. Connie Wood, who is a breast cancer survivor, started Wings.

“I know about the difficulty of traveling to Kalispell for treatment,” Wood said.

Wings is a non-profit organization in northwest Montana and helps people in Lincoln, Flathead and Lake counties. Most of the funds raised go toward cancer patients in Lincoln County, as they have the furthest to travel to receive treatment, Wood said.

Wings started by giving $300 grants to cover expenses for traveling, such as housing, transportation and meals. There is a one-page application to be considered for a Wings grant. The only qualification for receiving a grant is a cancer diagnosis, Wood said. Grants are now up to $1,800 per year and may either be given to a patient up front or applied to a reimbursement.

Since 1997, Wings has given a total of $846,989 to those in need in the three counties. In 2007, Wings assisted 100 people in Lincoln County and dispensed a total of $64,215.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has also helped Wings by matching funds up to $1,000 for the last two years, Wood added.

“Libby, Troy and Yaak have been very generous to Wings,” Wood continued.

There are no officers or a president within the Wings group, as “no one person is more important than the other,” Wood explained.

Wings Week, which begins on Saturday, May 3, is a fund raiser for the cancer support system. The week kicks off with a Cinco de Mayo Mexican buffet at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 at the Yaak Tavern. Keith and Suzanne Hagerty, who run the Yaak Tavern and Mercantile, organized the buffet. There will also be raffles and an auction beginning at 7:30 p.m. on May 3. The price for the Cinco de Mayo buffet is $10 per person. For more information, contact the Yaak Mercantile at 295-5159.

On Tuesday, May 6 there will be a bowling tournament in Libby and Troy. The Libby tournament begins at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Lanes. They must be four-man teams, with no tap. Registration is $15 each. For more information about the Libby tournament, call Peggy Craver at 293-7842. The tournament in Troy begins at 7 p.m. at Trojan Lanes. For more information about the Troy tournament, call 295-5024.

The biggest fund raiser of Wings Week is Dollar Day, which is on Wednesday, May 7. Dollar Day was the brainchild of Kathy Roland, who has since passed away from cancer. All the Wings board members volunteer for this event, which historically collects approximately $10,000. The volunteers will be wearing Wings buttons. Wings clowns will be walking through the Libby business district at 1 p.m. on May 7 and other volunteers will be meeting at 5 p.m. at the Libby Volunteer Fire Department.

The Honee Bees will be fixing food for the Wings volunteers at the fire department. Volunteers will be meeting at 5 p.m. in Troy at the park across from W.F. Morisson Elementary School to do the Dollar Day walk.

“If no one is home, we leave an envelope that goes to an account [for Wings] at First National Bank,” Wood explained.

Donations may be left at the First National Bank in Troy or Libby.

On Saturday, May 10, there are a couple events going on throughout the valley. Starting at noon on Saturday, there will be the 2nd Annual Wings Youth Trap Shoot at the Yaak Rod and Gun Club. Last year, 16 kids participated in the event and raised $6,000. The trap shoot is open to youth ages 11-15. For more information or to sign up for the event, contact Keith Hagerty at 295-5080.

Rounding up the fund raising week is the 2nd Annual Wings Spaghetti Feed at the Libby Elks Lodge. The social begins at 5:30 p.m. and dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. The price is $8 per person and there will also be a silent auction.

The homemade spaghetti is from the recipe of Jon Dunham. Dunham’s wife, Kathy, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given one year to live.

“Wings was there for me,” Kathy said.

Kathy survived despite her odds and last year, the Dunham’s held the spaghetti dinner on their own and gave all the money they raised — $800 — to Wings.

Tickets for the spaghetti feed are available at the Elks Lodge, Headlines, Farmer’s Union Insurance or at the door. Call the Elks Lodge at 293-7828 or the Dunham’s at 293-7692 for more information.

Everything for the Wings events is donated.

“Every penny goes to the cancer patient and stays local,” Wood explained.

The events have grown over the years, Wood said.

“We’re running out of room on the poster,” she joked.

If anyone needs an application for Wings support, call Connie Wood at 293-4380 or Linda Matthews at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital at 293-0100, or if in Troy call 295-4536.

“Support is every bit as valuable as the money,” Kathy said. “Just knowing that people care.”