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John F. Russell: Making a difference

John F. Russell

It’s hard to imagine there are people in Steamboat Springs who have never met Linda Danter.

But for those who have not, I’ll do my best to describe her personality in words – not an easy task.

Linda is to Steamboat what the Energizer Bunny is to batteries. She has more energy than Yampa Valley Electric Association and uses it to go nonstop all the time. She always seems to be smiling. I’m not sure she has ever had a bad day, and if she did, there would be no way to tell. She is the type of person who could sell a sack of sand to a homeowner in Kuwait or salt water to someone living on a yacht off the coast of California.



Luckily for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project, a few years ago, she convinced the other women in her weekly golfing group that they should combine efforts and do something meaningful. They decided to host the Rally For The Cure golf tournament in Steamboat Springs, and it’s been growing ever since.

To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of charity golf tournaments, and I can’t really tell you why. However, the Rally For The Cure is different.



It’s everyday people helping their community. Sure, some of the money goes to a national organization, but it’s a good one that helps people suffering from breast cancer in our state and around the county through research that advances hope, treatment and education that leads to early detection. The rest of the money this tournament raises goes to people in Steamboat who are dealing with cancer every day.

Sure, there are other golf tournaments in our town that are contributing money to great causes. These tournaments are important.

But this tournament comes from modest roots. The first year it was held, it raised less than $2,000, and that was all right. It’s like that set of towels you got as a gift from a distant relative last Christmas that doesn’t match any of the rooms in your house. Those towels still bring a smile to your face because it’s the thought that counts – or, at least, that’s what my mother used to tell me when I was a kid.

But the cool thing about Steamboat’s Rally For The Cure has been watching it grow from a small, on-the-fringe tournament into one of the summer’s most anticipated fundraisers. This year, Danter expects the tournament to raise more than $30,000.

I’m sure this town hosts tournaments that raise larger amounts of money, but the Rally is an example of how we can all come together and work towards making the world a slightly better place to live,

It’s also an example of how one person and a few of her friends have stepped to the plate and proven they can make a difference.

Linda told me she is looking forward to the day when there is a cure for breast cancer and she no longer has to host this tournament. My guess is, until that day finally comes, she will just keep going, and going, and going, just like the Energizer Bunny.


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