August of 2013 was a month that changed my life forever. I had just packed up my life to transfer from Virginia Intermont to St. Andrews, but first I wanted to spend a week at home with my family, I had spent the summer at VI working and riding. While I was away at school my dad had found a lump under his arm, the doctors said just to “watch it”. After watching it for several weeks it was still there, so it was time to run tests. It was no coincidence the week I was home results came back. My dad told me about the lump but I didn’t really think much about it, dad didn’t seem too worried either.
I was sitting on the floor of my room folding clothes when my dad walked into my room. He had a very serious look on his face and his eyes were red. I very quickly jumped up and ask if everything was okay. My dad said you and your sister come into the living room I need to talk to you. When we all sat down he got real choked up and said he got the results of his biopsy and they were not good. He said “I have cancer”. I grew up being daddy’s little girl, in my eyes he is superman, he is invincible. I just didn’t understand how my dad could have cancer it didn’t make sense. At 20 years old I sat in my daddy’s lap holding on to him crying. I will never forget the words he told me as I sat in his lap, he said “Emme, I love you so much and I will not sit down and let cancer take over me. I will fight. I will fight hard for this family”.
Moving to St. Andrews suddenly became a very hard and scary move. As I kissed my dad good bye to head to school he said “all I want from you is for you to kick butt in the show ring and in the class room and I will be here Kickin’ cancer”. With that being said he fueled my fire. I was ready to ride my heart out for him. While sitting at my desk in my dorm room I dreamed up the idea of the Kickin’ Cancer fundraiser. After sharing my idea with Peggy, the Director of the Equestrian Program, she made it happen. Kickin’ cancer was really going to happen and the entire region was on board to help raise money for the American Cancer Society.
The first horse show was October 5, 2013. I had only 3 weeks to get everything together. My sister designed the t-shirts, my mom ordered bracelets, and several teammates and I were busy making posters and ribbons for our show jackets. My family drove up for the horse show. My family kept the fundraiser a secret from my dad. I wanted to surprise him. Bright and early horse show morning before the start of the show we got the Kickin’ Cancer booth all set up. On display I had made a trifold board where riders could write if they were riding in honor or in memory of someone with cancer. The t-shirts were on sale for fifteen dollars and bracelets were on sale for five. The ribbons were in several colors to represent all different kinds of cancer.
The start of the show was at 10 o’clock. All the teams began arriving around 8. My sister had 75 shirts made. I sold out of shirts before the start of the horse show. It was unbelievable the amount of support and donations we received. The trifold board was almost completely covered with names of people that were being honored or remembered. My family arrived around 10:30. They walked up and my dad starting seeing all the shirts and I walked him over to the table to show him. He was blown away to the point of becoming teary-eyed. I showed him his name on the board, and told him my show season was dedicated to him I was riding in his honor this year. I never realized how many people just on my team had parents or family members fighting the same battle with cancer. At the first horse show, we raised almost $800 dollars.
I ordered more t-shirts and bracelets and we continued setting up the Kickin’ Cancer booth at the rest of the horse shows of the season. The support has been incredible! All of the teams in Region 3 have contributed to the fundraiser in one way or another. At the final horse show of the season, members of the NCSU team made cupcakes for us to sell at the Kickin’ Cancer booth.
This fundraiser was a huge success, and we raised over one thousand dollars that will be donated to the American Cancer Society. It is a privilege and honor to be at a school like St. Andrews University, where coaches and teammates stand by your side through some of the hardest times in your life, and help you make a dreamed up idea a successful reality. St. Andrews University kicked butt in the show ring this season and raised a lot of money for cancer research, so one day everyone can say they have kicked cancer!
- submitted by Emilee Wilson
