Sandy Wychulis was at the Tamaqua-Carbon American Cancer Society telethon on Sunday, as she has been for the past 30 years.

Only this year, the Coaldale resident was in front of the camera instead of helping behind the scenes.One of four Courage Award winners, Wychulis fought back tears as she watched a video of her story.It's no surprise, as the emotion of the news she received from her doctor on Friday was still fresh."He gave me the news that I am cancer free," Wychulis, an ovarian cancer patient, announced during the second and final day of the 2015 telethon, held at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe."I made him say the words because I wanted to hear them."Later in the broadcast, Sandy sang a duet with her husband, Bud, a longtime telethon volunteer.A $1,000 anonymous pledge with several minutes left in the telethon pushed the total amount to $200,157.The weekend was jam-packed with entertainment, around 45 performers, in addition to the encouraging stories of local cancer survivors.Many donors arrived to Penn's Peak in person to announce their contributions, especially groups like the Tamaqua Area Student Government Association.The association's fourth annual mini-thon raised a record setting $5,000 for the American Cancer Society.The telethon ran from noon to midnight Saturday and Sunday and broadcast live Blue Ridge Communications-TV 13 and Service Electric Cable.Hosts included Joe Krushinsky, Bud Wychulis, Kim Bell, Jason Demarco, Maureen Donovan, Jerry Knowles and Jacob Gursky.Bonnie Myers of Lehighton spent her career as a registered nurse taking care of others in need.In 2011, Myers found herself the one in need of care as she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.As she accepted her award Sunday, she stressed that regular checkups and early detection may have saved her life."I've also had a great family support system that I'm very thankful for," Myers said.Natalie Kmetz of Jim Thorpe is back doing what she loves, getting ready to direct Jim Thorpe High School's production of the Sound of Music on May 1 and 2.Not long ago, however, Kmetz was battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma and fighting for her life.With a clean bill of health since February, she's back on her feet and was overjoyed Sunday to be joined by her family, especially her grandchildren."When I was in the hospital and they would come visit me, I would smile when they arrived and cry when they left," Kmetz said.She is also no stranger to the telethon, having performed on it in the past with her sisters as "The Wells Sisters."Lindsey Rascavage of Brockton was all smiles and full of laughter during her interview as a Courage Award recipient.Her battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma is a thing of the past and Rascavage is ready to move on with her life.She is now back teaching third-grade students in the Tamaqua School District."I knew cancer wouldn't be the thing that killed me," she said Sunday. "I wanted to be strong and push through it because I didn't want my two children to have to miss out because I couldn't be there for them."