Apr 4, 2006 3 min read

I just returned from an evening at the Uniontown Country Club. The event was a fundraiser for the Fayette County Chapter of the Colon Cancer Alliance. March is Colon Cancer Awareness month, and the purpose of the evening was to raise money for research and to raise awareness in the community of the importance of early detection of colon cancer. It was a wonderful evening and over $24,000 was raised to help in the fight against this awful disease.

That is a phenomenal amount of money to be raised in a 2-1/2 hour period and I am proud to have been a small part of that effort. What I am not proud of is the way people act when they are at an event such as this.

Although socializing was a big part of the evening, there were also a few people who spoke to the group about why we were there and the importance of bringing awareness to the community.

Dr. Fraser Stokes who is a local gastroenterologist and is a member of the Colon Cancer Alliance, spoke first. Next, former Pittsburgh Steeler Robin Cole, who is a cancer survivor, told his story about his fight with cancer. Finally, Chef Joe Carei, of Caileigh’s Restaurant, spoke about his personal reasons for being involved in this cause.

While none of these men are world leaders, kings, presidents, etc., they still deserved respect while they were speaking.

They didn’t go on for hours nor was their message boring; however, I could not believe that people would just continue talking and not stop for five or 10 minutes to listen to what they had to say.

I don’t know about the rest of Fayette County, but I was raised to show respect when someone is speaking. It’s just plain common courtesy.

If you were there tonight and you kept on talking and laughing while Dr. Stokes, Robin Cole, and Chef Joe were trying to tell you about the importance of screening colonoscopies and early detection of any type of cancer, I hope with all my heart that you never have to hear those dreaded words from your doctor: “You have cancer.”

I am a breast cancer survivor of 15 years and have lost too many family and friends to this awful disease.

I hate it and I pray that someday soon they will find a cure for it. In the meantime, next time you are at an event such as this one, remember the manners you were taught growing up.

Put yourself in the shoes of the speaker … would you want people to carry on while you were talking or would you want them to listen to you?

Sharen Clarke

Chalk Hill