Team Strassburg invites others in fight for lives

Those wishing to assist in the fight against some of the country’s most deadly killers should stop by on Tuesday, April 11, all day and all night, at the Other Place on University and help raise money for the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life.

So many people across the nation have been touched by cancer in one way or another. The number of new cases due to cancer every day are 455 out of 100,000 men and women per year, and the number of deaths due to cancer are 172 out of 100,000 men and women, and these figures are increasing every day.

Team Strassburg was originally formed to show support toward the Strassburg family during Cedar Heights sixth grade teacher Mark Strassburg’s diagnosis, battle and remission with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Reflecting on her husband Mark’s disease, his wife, Nicole, said she reacted with “disbelief, confusion because his particular cancer is common amongst adults 55 and older, and scared because of the unknown. I think it is part of human nature to be scared of things we don’t know a lot about nor understand.”

Over the years many of the team members have been touched with cancer within their families as well as suicide. Because of this, Team Strassburg added suicide prevention and awareness as well as battling cancer to their fight.

Team Strassburg was founded in 2009 by the family’s friends, Michelle and Kurtis Keough as well as Melanie and Darin Tournier.

“They felt the need to show support to our family by creating a team to participate in the annual Relay for Life of Black Hawk County,” Strassburg said.

Since the team has been formed, many more families and friends have been invited into the Team Strassburg family.

“The best part of life is helping others and providing happiness. If we can do that for someone else, then our hearts and souls are full. We want not only the adults within our team to provide support and help to those in need, but we want our kids to do the same.”

About six years ago, Darren Corson partnered with Team Strassburg and started doing the OPU nights in order to help his dear friend Mark.

“Mark has been a friend for quite a long time and is married to a past employee of mine.   Mark’s positive attitude as a teacher in the school system and his outlook on life were also contributing factors,” Corson said.

Corson and Team Strassburg agreed that each year the OPU nights have gotten bigger. Corson said The OP has always been happy to help with the positive events, sell some pizza and help in the fight against cancer.

“It’s one of those nights that puts a smile on our faces because we came to work and maybe, in some small way, helped the bigger picture when it comes to finding a cure for cancer,” Corson said.

Strassburg said the team continues to hold OPU nights and the bake sale/lemonade stand each year in order to pay it forward by averaging $200-$400 for the OPU nights and reaching the goal of $2,000 for the bake sale/lemonade stand in 2016, these fundraising efforts are very important to these families.

“All of our families that are involved with Team Strassburg have been personally affected by cancer and suicide. It’s important for us to show support to one another, grieve together and fight together,” Strassburg said.

She also said it is very significant to have all the children within the Team Strassburg families to be involved in the fundraising efforts because they want them to learn to pay it forward, to get involved and to be a witness to what their efforts can accomplish.

Those wishing to show support should mention Relay For Life or Team Strassburg when ordering any 16” pizza at regular price, and $4 will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

For dates on the annual bake sale/lemonade stand toward the end of the school year and other events relating to the American Cancer Society and Relay For Life, visit the Team Strassburg Facebook page regularly.