Fundraisers aimed at Relay For Life
Two high school sweethearts now pour their hearts into Relay For Life of Chillicothe, helping raise more than $36,000 since 2002, the year of Chillicothe’s first Relay event.
Bob and Bev Bennett have found their niche in creating craft projects to sell for their Relay team, Bev’s Pit Crew.
The group acquired its name from Bev, who had uterine cancer in October 2001, and her cousin’s wife, also named Bev, who had cancer as well.
United in their fight against the disease, the Bennetts and several family members decided to join forces to help raise money to kick cancer.
Those members all have been touched by cancer — daughter, Cheri Schumacher; daughter, Joy (John) Lowery; daughter, Becky Darche; Becky’s daughter, Angela; Bev’s sister, Donna Cline; Cline’s daughters, Michelle Kluge and Melissa Cline; Bev’s sisters-in-law, Jeri Lishman and Vicki Lishman; and Bev’s niece, Brandi Lishman-Mooberry.
Others in the family with cancer were Bob’s dad, sister and his sister’s husband; Becky’s husband, Fred (kidney cancer); Bev’s brother, George (prostate cancer); Lishman-Mooberry (cervical cancer); and Lowery (basal cell skin cancer).
Now drawn together by a disease that takes the lives of more than 500,000 people in the United States each year, the Bennetts are determined to continue their fundraising efforts to find a cure.
Joining the fight
The Bennetts both hail from the Lacon-Sparland area. Bob was born in Chillicothe, where he lived until fifth grade. Bev was born in Lacon but lived in Sparland all her life.
Both graduated from Sparland High School, Bob in 1953, Bev one year later.
High-school sweethearts, the two married and lived in Peoria for a year. Bob worked for Kroger, and Bev was a mom and housewife.
In 1956, the couple set up housekeeping in Chillicothe, where they raised their four children — Becky Darche of Peoria Heights and Cheri Schumacher, Joy Lowery and Bob Bennett, all of Chillicothe.
They now have six grandchilden and four great-grandchildren.
“We’re lucky to have all of our kids live close to us,” said Bev.
Bob is now retired from truck sales, and Bev is also retired after working from 1978 to 1995 at Jane’s women’s clothing store in Chillicothe.
Since Bev’s Pit Crew joined Relay For Life the first year in Chillicothe, they have managed to raise a couple of thousand more each year, topping it off the last two years with more than $8,000 each year.
They have sold caps, earrings, bracelets, bottles, birdhouses, held garage sales and sponsored a garden walk, with this year being the fourth annual garden walk.
This year, their goal is $6,000, due to the difficult financial times.
“With the economy, it’s a little tougher to raise money,” said Bev.
Bob first created about 40 wooden purple men signs posted throughout town for Relay For Life.
Then he tried his hand at doing bird houses.
“I coaxed him into trying to do birdhouses,” said Bev, “and I painted them and just had fun.”
Although he does not do any precision type of woodworking, Bob has no desire to continue making lots of bird houses.
So, in 2007, a light went off in the Bennetts’ heads, and thus began their biggest moneymaker so far.
Battling with bottles
Through some friends, Bob and Bev learned about decorating wine bottles.
Those friends showed them how to complete the process of drilling a hole in the bottle with a drill press without breaking the glass.
“It’s quite a procedure,” said Bob. “It’s unbelievable. At one time when we lived on Truitt, we had over 15 cases of wine bottles in the house.”
Their first source for bottles was Friar Tucks. When Bev asked about getting a supply of bottles to paint, thinking they might give her 15 or so, she could only laugh when they said they could supply her with 100 bottles.
The next bottles, named “fat bottles” due to their bottom-heavy shape, came exclusively from Olive Garden.
Next on the supply list were members of the Pilot Club, of which their daughter, Becky, is a member.
Sometimes they come home to find people have left sacks of bottles on their porch.
“We still have about 10 cases of empty bottles in our shed,” said Bob.
The process of completing each work of art on a bottle is tedious.
“It takes both of us to drill the holes in the bottles because Bev has to pour water on the area while I drill,” said Bob. “You have to keep the glass cool or it will split.”
Then Bev soaks the labels from most of the bottles, although some people like them with the labels intact.
Next, she uses her artistic flair to paint designs on the bottles.
“You know how people always say they don’t know what they want to be when they grow up?” said Bev. “Well, I think I’ve finally found my niche. I painted on rocks one year for Relay, too. That’s how I knew I could paint.”
With painting complete, Bob spray glazes, puts lights inside and corks each bottle.
The smaller bottles sell for $20 each, and the pot-belly bottles are $25 each. They are available at
The Cutting Edge and River Valley Second Chances LLC Furniture, both in Chillicothe.
This year’s Relay For Life theme is “One candle; one year at a time,” meaning one candle lit for every year of survival, so happy birthday, said Bev.
Relay For Life of Chillicothe is June 18-19 at the Illinois Valley Central High School track.
Volunteers and teams are needed for the event. The next meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pearce Community Center.
Once again, they will honor survivors, as well as those who have lost their battles with cancer, all while raising money for cancer education and research.
That, however, is something for which Chillicothe is well-known, supporting a cause and battling as a group.
“We are a community that fights the fight,” said Bev.
“It’s fun and it’s a good fundraiser. We have to do something to raise funds.
“As long as cancer is a part of our lives, we will continue this fight.”
