Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 7, 1 Iulai 2010 — Picking a fight with cancer [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Picking a fight with cancer

By Kathy Muneno Theirs was a love story in life and in death - Pershing Haig Makakauali'i Williams and Margaret Elizabeth Po'omaikalani Williams. As told by their daughter Robin Makapagal, her father knew he was dying and "he asked God to let him at least live to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary on

June 21, 1992. He lived to celebrate it." Pershing Williams died about four months later. Four years later, when her mother was dying, Makapagal says, "she had to die on a Wednesday, she said, because our father died on Wednesday. She did. At just about 10 minutes before midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 1996, my mother said, 'That's it,' and she was gone. Oh, how brave she was, and oh, how I miss both of them." Both died of cancer - Pershing of lymphoma and Margaret of cancer of the uterine lining. "I hate cancer, hate it," says Makapagal, a woman of boundless energy and drive. And so she is up for a fight against such a formidable foe, cancer. "I know cancer is not gonna be cured in my lifetime but I'm hopeful we will find the cure and it won't be a death sentence. I'mreal hopeful that we ean beat this enemy back." Her battlefield is the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama campus Konia Field. It is the site of the American Cancer Society 20 10 Relay for Life Kamehameha Alumni Aug. 14and 15. Makapagal is this year's volunteer chairperson, having

been involved since this particular race began three years ago. She is busy rallying the troops, enlisting previous teamcaptains and encouraging all Kamehameha Schools graduating classes to participate. At this writing, there are 33 teams registered. Not enough, she says. "We

need 85." There were 77 teams last year. Makapagal is a 1968 Kamehameha graduate. She is the team captain of lokahi68@60. The ever-innovative alumnus asked her classmates to donate their age, $60 eaeh. No surprise her team has far surpassed its goal of $1,500. "They always eome through," she says proudly. But the race isn't just for Kamehameha alumni, though it is fun to look at the web site, w ww.relay for life.org/kamehameha, to see whieh classes are participating. (It goes as far back as the class of 1948.) In fact this year, for the first time, there are two teams from Hiekam Air Force Base participating. They found this race online. Their organizer says she was looking for a race in August because that's the month that she lost her father to cancer. "There's nobody that hasn't been touched by cancer," Makapagal says. The race remembers loved ones lost to cancer and honors survivors. One survivor participatSee RELAY on page 37

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Robin Makapagal, right, lostboth parents to cancer, Pershing Haig Makakauali'i Williams and Margaret Elizabeth Po'omaikalani Williams, shown at left. - Photos: Courtesy of Robin Makapagal

RELAY Continued from page 13 ing is 19-year-old Maile Miki, who was diagnosed with cancer at age 2. Makapagal says one of the most emotional moments of the event is the first lap, a lap taken by survivors. The race is an all-nighter, beginning at 6 p.m. on the 14th and ending at 6 a.m on the 15th, because, as the American Cancer Society points out, cancer never sleeps. The race's victory song is "Happy Birthday." Eaeh teamis askedto have someone on the track at all times. There are games, food, entertainment, dancing and at 10 p.m. a Luminaria Ceremony. The lights are tumed off and more than 1,000 illuminated bags inscribed with the name of someone who has fought the cancer battle stand aglow along the track. After midnight there

is the Fight Back Ceremony. Fighting back runs in the blood for Makapagal. As she explains, "My mother was given 1 1 months to live at her diagnosis in February, 1994. She told the doctor she needed more time. She wanted to attend her 50th class reunion. The doctor asked when it was to be. August 1996, was her answer. He answered, 'We'U help you get there.' He did. She lived to eelebrate her Roosevelt reunion and three weeks later she was gone." And so it seems all the more fitting that Makapagal is fighting this battle with her fellow classmates at an event that itself turns out to be a reunion and gathering of old friends. ■ Kathy Muneno is a contributing writer for Ka Wai Ola. She is a weekenā weather anchor at KHON2.