Cancer Society holds annual Daffodil Days

As Bloomington clawed its way out of winter, yellowish-green daffodil buds made their way into offices and homes all across the county.\nThursday was the first day of Daffodil Days, which continues through today. When it's over, more than 30,000 daffodils will have spread their message of hope to thousands of recipients.\n"You have to have hope, or you're prepared to die," said cancer survivor Sandy Berndt.\nOrganized by the American Cancer Society, Daffodil Days is an important fundraiser. Bouquets are sold for $5 each. Add a vase and the cost tops $8. The society collected $13,500 last year. This year, director Jim Bretz estimated proceeds for Monroe County will exceed $15,000. \nAll proceeds stay in the county. They go toward funding the society's many activities and programs and IU's cancer research. They provide wigs for women who have lost their hair to chemotherapy, wheelchairs and hospital beds to immobile cancer patients and milkshake-like food supplements to patients whose treatments render them unable to eat. \nDaffodil Days in the United States had its roots in New York in 1970. It has been a fixture of the local cancer society for more than 20 years, said Daffodil Chairwoman Carol Pittman. Although the society in Bloomington serves five counties, each county conducts its own sales. \nBut Daffodil Days means much more than raising money. For volunteer Jean Reed, daffodils symbolize optimism -- hope that a new day might bring the cure for cancer. \n"If we can keep up the progress and keep the donations coming to keep up the progress, maybe someday we can lick this disease," she said.\nAs she helps pack flowers and coordinates volunteer drivers, cancer is not far from her mind.\nReed has seen cancer touch the lives of several friends. One friend was on her fifth cancer-free year since her breast cancer when her doctors discovered the cancer had spread to her lungs. \n"She went down fast," Reed said.\nReed said in her friend's last days, she couldn't bear to visit her. She described her friend's gray pallor, the tubes running into her nose and her struggles to breath.\n"It was just so traumatic," Reed said.\nReed said for many cancer patients, something as simple as a bright cheery daffodil can really brighten their day.\nVolunteer Berndt, 60, has fought her own battle with cancer. This is her fifth cancer-free year. For her, Daffodil Days is just fun.\nCruising through Bloomington in her red Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera with four boxes of daffodil bouquets on her back seat and floor, her little-girl voice swelled with excitement.\nShe said when you hand daffodils to someone and say "happy spring," their faces light up.\nAs she strode into the administrative offices of the Monroe County School Board with a delivery, the receptionist beamed at her from behind a vase of daffodils.\nBerndt strolled by offices with vases of daffodils sitting on tabletops to deliver a bouquet of daffodils and her greeting to her latest recipient -- something she repeated time and again.\nThe Bloomington Hospital ordered 100 bouquets for its cancer patients. Richard Koch, who ordered the flowers on behalf on the hospital, said it was the hospital's way of supporting the cancer society and bringing a spark of happiness into the lives of cancer patients. The hospital has done this for more than six years. \nThe patients love the gesture.\n"We get a lot of thank yous," he said. \nVolunteer Rhea Neal said she sees in each yellow blossom a tiny messenger of hope. \n"It's the first sign of spring and life," Koch said.