Bunco Night to Benefit Nancy Wehrman
Ladies of the Lake Nancy Wehrman fundraiser Bunco event shatters previous record
By Mark Mathews, Editor of the Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer
Click here to view the article on the Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer's website.
The Ladies of the Lake Cancer Support Team members expected Bunco Night record participation for the Nancy Wehrman benefit last week at Lakeside Lutheran Church, and whoa — they were right.
“This is the biggest Bunco event we’ve ever had,” Bunco Night team captain Sue Williams said. “Our previous high was 13 tables. Tonight we filled 20 tables, so this is really exciting. Having all these people out here in support of Nancy is amazing.”
Wehrman was diagnosed with leukemia in January when doctors determined her white blood cell count was 46,000, more than four times the number of a typical white blood cell count. She was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant this week.
The road to recovery will be a long journey for Wehrman. If all the procedures go well, she will still have a baby’s immune system and will need to receive all her childhood vaccinations.
“Nancy is a very beloved person in this community,” LOL Bunco Night team co-captain Sarah Baltz said. “She gives back, and it’s our turn to give to her this time.”
Bunco is a fast-paced dice game with four players at a table taking turns at rolling three dice to roll three of a kind of the number featured during that particular game. The lucky player with the hat-trick roll yells “Bunco”, and one of the LOL hosts brings them a fuzzy die to spotlight the achievement until the next player rolls a Bunco.
With 80 players filling 20 tables, the LOL Cancer Support Team decided to have a pair of fuzzy dice on hand to ensure they would be able to keep up with the yells of “Bunco” coming from the players. It was quickly apparent they needed three or more fuzzy dice on this night.
“I counted seven Bunco calls in the first game, and their might have been more,” Baltz said.
LOL team members Liz Vaughn and Kathy Bredland were high-stepping to have the fuzzy die to the latest “Bunco” achieving player. Bredland got a break after intermission and sat to play during the second round of Bunco games. Other team members switched off to move the fuzzy dice from table to table.
The intermission gave the players a chance to take a break and pack plates full of barbecue pork, meatballs, homemade rolls, pie, cookies, and other treats. Again, the LOL team members came prepared.
“I brought 10 pounds of barbecue and homemade rolls,” LOL team member Marianne West said.
The pause in play during intermission also allowed time for fellowship amongst the players. The pace for the second round of Bunco games picked up as first-time players found a groove as their knowledge of the game increased.
Throughout the evening, the LOL team handed out door prizes donated by area businesses. At the end of the night, the LOL distributed more prizes for game accomplishments, such as the last Bunco, most Buncos, and highest overall score. Sue Muller racked up 465 points during the evening to top all players.
The LOL also recognized the play of players who didn’t fare well in the scoring column. The most point-losing “snake-eyes” rolls, and the overall lowest score, turned into a door-prize-winning night for the players as mentioned above.
The LOL Cancer Support Team members discovered quickly that the Nancy Wehrman-dedicated Bunco Night would prove successful. The first players began showing up nearly two hours before the 7 p.m. start time.
The team also set up a table in front of the entry doors to collect donations for Wehrman from non-players. Williams was stunned by the results.
The next LOL Cancer Support Team Bunco Night is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Lakeside Lutheran Church, 2427 Eaton Ferry Road, Littleton, North Carolina. Everyone is welcome to attend and play the easy-to-learn, fast-paced dice game. Go to ladiesofthelake.info for more information about the Ladies of the Lake Cancer Support Team.
— Editor’s note: If you were unable to attend this event and would like to donate to Nancy’s fund, please label your donation “Nancy’s Fund” and mail it to:
Ladies of the Lake
PO BOX 55
Henrico, NC, 27842
September 2 Ladies of the Lake Bunco Night to benefit Nancy Wehrman
By Mark Mathews, Editor of the Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer
Click here to view the article on the Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer's website.
All of the proceeds raised during The Ladies of the Lake Cancer Support Team's Tuesday, Sept. 2 BUNCO Night at Lakeside Lutheran Church will benefit Nancy Wehrman, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in January.
Nancy is a well-known and active member of the Lake Gaston community. She's a long-time member of the Lake Gaston Ladies Club, Gastonettes, Fabulous Flying Aqua Babes, Littleton chapter of the P.E.O., and a singer in the Annual Lake Gaston Singers for the Christmas Cantata.
Feeling tired is how Nancy described herself from Thanksgiving through the Christmas holiday season last year. She figured the busy holiday season schedule was the culprit, and she would have plenty of time to rest after it was over. Still, something wasn't right.
I told Lori Dobson, who stands next to me in the Christmas Cantata, I'm a lifelong singer. I grew up with a music teacher as a mother. I know how to get a nice big breath for singing, and I can't get one. So, there were signs early on. I just didn't know what they were."
In January, Nancy had flu-like symptoms. She believed she would feel better in a few days. However, the symptoms worsened throughout the week, and she decided to head to urgent care to get checked out. Unfortunately, the physician said she didn't have what he needed to complete a diagnosis and sent her to the emergency room in South Hill. Her white blood cell count was 46,000. A typical white blood cell count is 10,000 to 11,000.
"They started throwing around the word leukemia, and I was no, no, no, you are mistaken — that is not what is going on," Nancy said. "So they transferred me to Duke, and indeed, I had what is called Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It has what they call mutations, and I have two mutations of Acute Myeloid Leukemia."
Nancy had an unsuccessful round of chemotherapy, which she said she was told it was because of the type of leukemia she had. The chemotherapy regimen changed, and she had four consecutive successful chemo sessions.
"I'm currently in remission, and to stay in remission I would have to keep getting chemo, but my chance on a total cure is a bone marrow transplant, which is scheduled for Sept. 9," she said.
Nancy's brother, David, was initially scheduled to be the donor for the transplant, and it was a 100% match. Nancy soon had more than her leukemia on her mind. She had her brother's health to worry about. David suffered a stroke on July 22. He is back at home in Virginia Beach and has started outpatient physical therapy. A second donor was discovered and matches 11 out of 12 points, which Nancy says is pretty good.
Nancy will begin another round of chemotherapy sessions from Sept. 4 through Sept. 7, followed by a Sept. 8 rest day. She will be given anti-rejection treatments on Sept. 12 and Sept. 13 to increase the chances of a successful bone marrow transplant. The long road to recovery will still be a long way from over.
"I will have a baby immune system, so we'll have to take precautions for a full year." Nancy said. "I will not be allowed to do any yardwork for another year. And I have to be very careful not to get too much sun. After one year I will get all my childhood vaccinations again."
Nancy has already defied the odds twice. She was told that after her original diagnosis, she would not have been around if she had waited another week. The second odd-defying episode was when she pondered not going through chemotherapy treatments and living the rest of her life without the rollercoaster impacts of chemo. Her doctors told her that particular decision would have put her life expectancy at approximately two weeks.
Steve, Nancy's sister, Cheryl, and at times her dear friend Sheryl have been her primary caregivers. The Lake Gaston community has also been an instrumental part of Nancy's journey through a difficult time.
"I can't tell you how many people have reached out, and I'm so thankful for them, and I'm so thankful for everybody's prayers," Nancy said. "I think it's twice I've defied all odds and I believe it's due to all the prayers from all these people I know, and people I don't know. I'm so thankful for this community."
Special September Bunco for Nancy Wehrman
The Ladies of the Lake Cancer Support Team's BUNCO fundraiser for Nancy Wehrman is at 7 p.m. on Sept. 2 at Lakeside Lutheran Church, 2427 Eaton Ferry Road, Littleton, North Carolina. Everyone is welcome to attend and play the easy-to-learn, fast-paced dice game. BUNCO Night is $10 to play, and snacks are provided for the players. BUNCO Night is an event of good times, fellowship, door prizes, and a shot to win the 50/50 drawing. More importantly, BUNCO Night proceeds all go toward a worthy cause. Go to ladiesofthelake.info for more information about the Ladies of the Lake Cancer Support Team.