‘An army fighting cancer’

As Dwayne "Whitey" Hagen was about to begin the 35th Annual Geneva Cancer Auction five years ago, he said "Everybody thinks that the cancer auction is about me. It isn't. This cancer auction is about each and every one of you who comes through the door and shares their care and concern for those who are battling cancer or in honor of someone they love."

 

In honor of the 40 years that Hagen has been helping in the battle to fight cancer at Geneva Bar and Grill, a cross-stitch picture was presented as the 2024 auction began Friday, Jan. 5.

The cross-stitch picture said, "There are no hands so small that they can’t make a difference in the world,” which sums up the many great people who have stepped up and have done what they could to help raise money for cancer research.

 

Over the years people have donated a great collection of items, and this year was no different. The 2024 Cancer Auction included homemade and baked items, as well as home canned items including an assortment of pickles and such. People and businesses also donated meat and cheese trays, dips and crackers, sausage, jerky, bags of potatoes and onions, and pounds and pounds of that great Hope butter that was paired up with many items over the course of the auction, to name a few.

 

There is usually a great collection of blankets and quilts that have been made, craft items, baskets with an assortment of items, oil changes, tire rotations, sweatshirts, T-Shirts, caps, coats, floral arrangements, wall hangings, pictures, power drills, wrenches and other tools, bottles of wine, some homemade; children’s items, including child-size chairs and books. And this year there was even a John Deere wagon for a child.

 

Over the years Geneva Bar & Grill has been full of people in January for the annual cancer auction as people come out to do what they can.

 

Many folks have dedicated a part of their lives each year to fight against cancer in many ways, collecting or donating items for the auction, serving as auctioneers and assistants, donating, cooking up and helping to serve for the annual Wild Game Feed, as well as to help or attend the pancake breakfast and mini-auction in April. They also organize pool, golf and bean bag tournaments, motorcycle runs and rodeo events, and have also gone on to organize a mum sale and Purse Bingo events.

 

All of this began because of a chicken that Hagen saw in a parking lot at Eddie's Bar in Albert Lea many years ago. Hagen was able to catch the chicken that he had seen one night after work and then brought it into Eddie's, where the Eagles Club was holding its annual telethon. Hagen put it up for bids that night and the chicken helped raise money for cancer.

 

This past weekend it was announced that the Wild Game Feed, held the first Saturday in December every year, raised $25,000. The pancake breakfast and mini-auction in April raised, $8,295. The cancer golf tournament raised $3,000, the purse Bingo event raised $9,513, and the mum sale raised $2,816.

 

There has been a raffle with cash prizes during the cancer auction and for many years there have been T-Shirts, hats, sweatshirts and other clothing items created using the different cancer colors. This year, Navy blue T-shirts were made that said, “Geneva Cancer Auction – Always fighting the fight."

 

The Pizza Cellar in Blooming Prairie donated an assortment of 10 pizza items on Saturday night. It didn’t take long before they were purchased and then “gobbled up.” George's of Geneva also donated some great food.

 

Once again there were a number of cash donations given in memory or in honor of people in our area. 

 

There was a display board at the bar this past weekend that showed the amount of money that has been raised each year for cancer, and when the totals from the past 39 years are added up, the cancer fundraising events had raised over $2.32 million.

 

It will be interesting to see what the final total of money raised from the many different cancer fundraising events held over the past year will be when it is totaled and taken to the Eagles Cancer Telethon.

 

Cheri Sloan Krejci wore a sweatshirt that read, “For Every Fight Won, For Every Battle Lost, For Those Still Fighting.”

 

There was another powerful saying brought up last weekend: “Do what you can with what you have and where you are,” which Teddy Rosevelt said many years ago, but still holds true today.

 

The second weekend of the 2024 Geneva Cancer Auction will begin at  7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, and resume at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13.

 

It is hoped that many people will again come to Geneva for the second weekend of the annual auction, as well as tune in on your televisions on Sunday Jan. 14 to the Eagles Cancer Telethon broadcast from Rochester, Minn. For the past few years the Geneva folks have been able to make their presentation between noon and 2 p.m. It is believed that Brenna Hagen, Whitey's granddaughter, will make the trip again this year.

 

Whitey Hagen, who has continued to do what he can to fight cancer at the age of 91, expressed his thoughts about the cancer fundraising events that have been held this year as the Saturday Geneva Cancer Auction was coming to a close.

 

Hagen, who proudly wore his Geneva Cancer Auction shirt and veteran's cap, said he was thankful for where he lived and for the many great people who continue to help support the many cancer fundraising activities that are held in our area.

 

Hagen then started to sing "God Bless America," and it didn’t take long before others joined in.