The Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Kay Borvansky doesn’t play golf, but that didn’t stop her from welcoming golfers to this year’s Rally for the Cure with a warm smile Tuesday morning.

“I’m more of a shopper,” Borvansky said. “I normally come out and have lunch and check out the silent auction items.”

Her husband has played in the tournament the past several years. The couple has supported the event because of Borvansky’s battle with malignant melanoma of the retina in 1979.

However, after being diagnosed with breast cancer last summer, Borvansky has taken her support to the next level.

“I’ve taken golf lessons in the past, but it’s just not my game,” Borvansky said. “I wanted to help, so I finally convinced Linda (Danter) to let me help out with the silent auction.”

This year, Borvansky could be found among the sea of pink shirts, pink carnations and enthusiastic volunteers at the 2008 Rally for the Cure/Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project Golf Tournament at the Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club. She says it’s her way of giving back to the organizations that supported her this year.

Borvansky said she is thankful that she discovered her cancer early and took an aggressive approach to treating the disease. Today her prognosis is good, and she is well along the road to recovery. But the approach didn’t come without costs — both physical and financial.

“These are both phenomenal organizations,” Borvansky said. “Susan G. Komen has set the standard for helping breast cancer victims across the country, and I can’t say enough about the Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project and what they have done for me.”

Luckily, Borvansky had insurance, but she said the Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Project paid for her many trips to Denver for treatments and that when she needed to spend the night on the road, that also was covered. She said the costs were surprisingly high during the year, and she is glad that there is an organization out there to help.

“The Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project helps to cover the costs that are not covered by insurance,” Borvansky said.

Until a cure is found

This year, 196 golfers showed up at the Rollingstone golf course to play in the Rally for the Cure.

The team of Deb Benak, Betty Nichols, D.J. Edwards and Lorraine Hopp won the women’s flight. Michael Bates, Craig Seitz, Rick Petet and Bill Spyker won the men’s flight.

In the mixed flight, Barbie and Pete Wither and Linda and Corky Corkadel took top honors.

The money collected from the entry fee and the silent auction will be split between the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project. Last year, the event reached a fundraising record of $34,000.

Tournament organizer Linda Danter said she was thrilled with the continued support of the tournament from the community, Brian Thorne and Rollingstone staff, and from the many volunteers who make the tournament a success year after year.

“I was worried because of the economy, and I thought there would be a real downturn,” Danter said. “But the community came out huge and continued to show us great support.”