86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 12, 2003 Svonavec Farm Is Site For Cancer Fundraiser SANDRA LEPLEY Somerset Co. Correspondent NEWCENTERVILLE (Som erset Co.) Ten years ago, a farm girl from Somerset County fought a courageous battle with cancer and lost. She died without realizing the difference she would make in other people’s lives someday. Karen Marteeny, Somerset, was only 23 years old when she died from complications of a bone marrow transplant on April 28, 1993, at Johns Hopkins Hos pital in Baltimore, Md. She fought bravely. After she was diagnosed with cancer as a young college student, she and her family added several thou sands of names of people who were tested for the National Bone Marrow Registry. During the transplant procedure, the com munity read newspaper articles regularly to see how she was doing. Her parents. Bill and Connie Marteeny, retired from farming a few years afterwards. Connie continues to work as a registered nurse at the local state hospital, which was in the past few years converted to a prison. “We have never forgotten about her,” said Connie, who has an older son named Mark and two grandchildren. “She is in our Betty Lou Svonavec, playwright and farm owner, talks with Merlin the Wizard, played by John Hilligoss, Somer set, who served as the narrator for the Medieval Mayhem play, recently conducted in Svonavec’s barn. Connie Marteeny, left, and Jessica Darr, a friend and neighbor, look over corporate banners for the Medieval Mayhem play. Marteeny sewed the banners, which were hung on poles on the entrance to the farm. Marteeny is instrumental in this fund-raiser and has been involved in the Relay-For-Life event after her daughter Karen died in 1993 from complications from a bone marrow transplant required for cancer treatment. thoughts constantly. That’s why we need to find a cure for cancer and help those suffering with cancer. We want to be able to ed ucate others about early preven tion.” The Marteenys became active ly involved with fund raising for the American Cancer Society shortly after Karen died. Every year, their Awesome Angels team for Relay-For-Life, a Cancer So ciety event held in communities throughout the nation, has been a top fund-raising group. This year, the Awesome Angels outdid themselves. They staged a farmland fantasy show with a Renaissance flair and raised more than $16,000 in two eve nings. The Medieval Mayhem king dom of Lamb-alot came into being primarily through the imagination of Betty Lou Svona vec, a local playwright from New Centerville. “I was apprehensive when I was first approached,” said Svo navec, “but then I saw how ev eryone helped out and believed in this cause. The teamwork was unbelievable.” The idea of the dinner theater fund-raiser was actually the brainchild of Sue Darr of Somer set, a close friend of the Martee- nys and a member of the Awe some Angels team. Darr asked Svonavec to be come involved because she knew that Svonavec wrote plays for high schools. “This has come a long way. I didn’t expect this to be so big but once everyone heard about it, it sold out. If we can get the team work we did this year, it will defi nitely be something that contin ues,” said Darr. The players came from all walks of life and from all differ ent age groups, but every partici pant’s life had been touched by cancer in some way. Jesters and town criers, maids and wenches. Merlin the wizard, a king and queen and princes too made up the entertaining king dom in Somerset County. Svonavec estimated that more than 60 people were involved in the play and for each of the two nights, more than 160 people at tended, 20 of whom paid SSOO each evening for a corporate table. “I didn’t expect to do this in a barn to be truthful,” laughed Roni Bhullar of Somerset, who played a prince. “I expected to do this in a high school auditorium but that is one of the best features of this fund-raiser.” The distant cries of lambs, which were turned outside for the summer, could be heard during the event but most people didn’t notice or didn’t mind as they en joyed the social atmosphere in the upstairs of Svonavec’s barn, where a stage was erected earlier, and actors emerged from the hayloft. “This was a great time for a good cause,” said Svonavec. “We had so much fun and people were asking if we would do it again soon if there would be enough people interested.” Connie Marteeny believes Karen would have enjoyed the event had she been here and would have appreciated every one’s help. Shortly before she died, Karen became a home economics teach er at Somerset Area High School, her alma mater. Her parents have established an annual $3OO scholarship in her name for home economics students. “Karen would have liked this event very much. She was a spe cial person. We appreciate all those who were involved,” said Connie. Dinner theater actress Heidi Svonavec is best known to readers as the former Pennsylvania Lamb and Wool Queen and the recipient of numerous Pennsylvania Farm Show trophies for exhibiting grand champion market iambs. Wenches or servant girls in the (Medieval Mayhem play in Somerset County strike a pose outside the Svonavec barn, where the play was held earlier this month as an American Cancer Society fund-raiser. Attend Youth Theatre Camp COLLEGEVILLE (Mont gomery Co.) Penn State Co operative Extension of Mont gomery County is offering a Youth Theatre Arts Camp July 21-25 at the Montgomery County 4-H Center on Route 113 near Skippack. The camp is open to all youth ages 10-13 years old who are interested in the the ater arts. The five-day pro gram (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) will include improvisation, pantomime, the roots of musi cal theater, physical and vocal I3ool