Motorcycle company organizes cancer awareness weekend near Orwigsburg

A cancer survivor teams up with Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson to raise money for cancer patients in Schuylkill County.

ORWIGSBURG, Pa. — Motorcycles at Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson near Orwigsburg are now decorated with pink ribbons to promote the upcoming Cancer Awareness Weekend.

Employee Donna Dukemen came up with the idea for the benefit 14 years ago. She was working in a hospital at the time and had her own battle with cancer.

“Unfortunately, when I was diagnosed, this program did not exist. I was diagnosed in 2002 with an extremely rare cancer. And most patients do not live beyond three years,” she said. declared.

But it wasn’t Dukemen’s first experience with cancer.

“My father passed away from cancer, my older brother had cancer, my younger brother had cancer. It’s in our family history, so I want to give back to the community and to these patients to make it a little less stressful,” Dukemen added. .

“I lost my mother to esophageal cancer about six years ago. We all know a survivor or a loved one we’ve lost, and I think part of our fundraising efforts and charity is about reaching out to them and touching them in different ways,” said Geoff Bogotuik, chief executive of Schaeffer.

Throughout Friday and Saturday, Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson will raise funds through raffles, food vendors and luminaries in memory of those who have lost their lives to cancer.

Having this every year has allowed them to raise over $45,000 to help the Lehigh Valley – Schuylkill Cancer Program.

“We were able to fund their gentle yoga class so that patients and their caregivers could go for free. And we also started donating money to patients receiving cancer treatments since the pandemic and helping them reduce the cost of gas being so expensive,” Dukemen said.

Cancer Awareness Weekend kicks off this Friday at 5 p.m. at Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson off Route 61 near Orwigsburg.

This Friday, August 26, come and support our BIKE NIGHT – Cancer Awareness Weekend event. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., support the…

Posted by Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson on Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel.