The Cancer Telethon’s slogan has always been “People you know helping people you know.”

While we all know someone with cancer, the people helping are our neighbors who raise money in a variety of ways such as East End Fire Company in Tamaqua and the Notre Dame Club, who brought in $21,536 for the 47th annual fundraiser held live this weekend from Penn’s Peak.

Tamaqua students raised $8,000 through Kids Helping Kids fundraisers.

The ACS annual basket raffle organized by local volunteers brought in $25,242 and the Relay for Life raised $22,800. The list goes on.

Alyssa Tirpak of Mahoning grew up watching the telethon and joined the volunteer ranks about 13 years ago. “It’s a tradition in the area,” she said, “But it’s something good. Helping the American Cancer Society is being a part of something bigger.”

Tirpak added, “I really love that everyone in the community comes together for one positive thing.”

In addition to countless volunteers, thirty-seven performers brought a variety of music. Many had battled cancer; others know someone who has.

The Hawk Mountain Highlanders, based out of Deer Lake, have three members who are cancer survivors.

Carol Tempest, who has lost several close friends to cancer, said she returns year after year because people need help and “we like to help where we can.”

Dr. Amy DePuy said, “As a cancer survivor and a family member of a cancer survivor, I really like to give back to the cancer society.”

As a physician, she said, “We really need to raise money for research for new drugs so cancer can be treated as a chronic disease and not a death sentence.”

Dee Mathis, executive director of the American Cancer Society, announced on the telethon that 70% of people diagnosed with cancer are living 5 or more years.

“We’d like to get into the 80s by the year 2050,” Mathis said. “We’re covering ground in research to make that a possibility.”

An example of success is Susie Bortnick of Coaldale who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2001. At that time, stem cell transplants and chemotherapy were intensive. Recently, she’s had CAR T-cell therapy, a personalized immunotherapy that genetically engineers a patient’s own T cells to recognize and attack specific cancer cells.

“It’s 100% different from stem cell,” she said on the telethon Saturday night. “I’m still here,” Bortnick said.

When she was first diagnosed, she was given a prognosis of 7 years. That was 25 years ago. Telethon chairman Joe Krushinsky commented, “Let’s have more stories about ending cancer as we know it.”

Courage award honoree Mary Storm, said her mother died of cancer in 1968. Her husband, Lester, died in 1996. She praised the research that allowed her to get treatment for breast cancer to send her into remission.

Other local honorees were Pete Smulligan of Tamaqua, whose family came sporting “Smulligan Strong” T-shirts, a fundraiser in the community to help with expenses; Marianne Garfield of Summit Hill, who is in remission from leukemia; David Wargo of Summit Hill, who is just starting his battle with Stage IV metastatic cancer; and Bari Pollock of Bethlehem, who was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer at the age of 28.

Local services

The telethon this year emphasized Hope Lodge, which offers a room for people who need to travel to cities for treatment.

With a typical cancer regimen of surgery and radiation lasting six to eight weeks, travel often skyrockets the cost of care. Lodging alone can cost up to $17,000.

In 2025 of patients from Carbon, Lehigh, Mounroe, Northampton and Schuylkill counties stayed at Hope Lodges 3,485 nights. With the average cost of a room more than $300 a night near cancer facilities, that’s a cost savings to them of $1,006,192.

Carbon County residents stayed 106 nights, for a cost savings of $29,786. Schuylkill residents stayed 700 nights for a cost savings of $196,789. Monroe residents stayed 862 nights, for a savings of $261,797. Lehigh County residents stayed 743 nights and Northampton residents, 1,074.

Residents in 2025 stayed in Hope Lodges in Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, Baltimore and Jacksonville.

Krushinsky pointed out that the return to the area is much more than the telethon raises each year.

This year, out of the $283,000 raised at the telethon, $10,000 will be earmarked to pay for a room for a year at the Hope Lodge, so that patients can stay at no cost.

Several organization put up matching grants to help the telethon reach that goal.

Another local service is the Road to Recovery program, where patients get rides to treatment. With the volunteer drivers dwindling, Krushinsky announced that ACS is covering rides on Uber and Lyft for patients.

Volunteers are needed in every aspect throughout the year. Krushinsky said, “The telethon doesn’t just happen this weekend. Events are held all year.”

To get involved, call 800-883-2109.