The Cooper Family: Just One Touching Story About Relay for Life

“I got some troubles, but they won't last I'm gonna lay right down here in the grass And pretty soon all my troubles will pass 'Cause I'm in ... Sugar Town.”

Those are words to a song from the movie 500 Days of Summer called “Sugartown” by Nancy Sinatra that inspired cancer patient Jennifer Wilson Cooper to rename Novato to Sugartown.

It was the never-ending generosity, love and kindness of friends, neighbors, and even strangers during her treatments for ovarian cancer that inspired the nickname. Now, as the American Cancer Society's 24-hour Novato Relay for Life draws near — it starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at — those who inspired Cooper to name Novato Sugartown are rallying to keep her memory live after her passing on June 6.

Cooper, wife and mother, first became involved in the Relay for Life last year. She and her husband Dennis had friends involved in past years and had always wanted to be involved. Last year she and Dennis joined the team called Lu Sutton Relays and soon realized that they were the only two on the team. Very quickly they went into action and started raising money.

"As we watched her team raise so much money, we became very curious as to what she was about," says former Relay for Life event chair Kandi Bloomquist. "When we met for coffee the first time at my house, we ended up sitting and talking for hours, crying, laughing and sharing various parts of our lives. When she left that day, I knew I had made a friend for life."

Cooper was awarded the Spirit of Relay Award last year and her son, James, then age 6, carried the Torch of Hope during the remembrance lap.

“We knew at the end of the relay last year that next time we needed to start fundraising earlier and get more people involved,” Dennis Cooper says.

Despite how she was feeling, Jennifer always tried to keep a positive outlook as she battled ovarian cancer. She kept a blog called fourseeds.com on which she celebrated life despite her constant battle.

This Saturday, at least 30 people from as far away as Los Angeles will walk in Jennifer’s honor. They have raised more than $13,000 and they are still going strong with fundraising. They strive to keep her positive outlook alive. Dennis said James has been looking forward to this event all year.

“It has been so incredible to realize that Jennifer's team is not just people on her street, but people from all over all walks of her life," Bloomquist says. "She had an amazing and magnetic personality that just drew people to her, and once you were in her circle, you were there for life."

Bloomquist says many people on the Coopers' Relay don't know each other and won't meet until the day of the event. Who knows where those new friendships will lead, but they'll always be traced back to Jennifer Wilson Cooper here in Sugartown.

"It is a testament to what the beauty of Relay For Life is as a community of caring and support for those dealing with cancer in their lives,” Bloomquist says.

Dennis said he was talking to a dear friend when he mentioned that he needed to figure out a way to get through the trauma of losing his wife. 

"She said it's not something you get through. It's a new beginning, it's a new life," he says. "You have to figure out how to live that new life. This relay ... it's James' way and my way of getting that going.

"Near the end, at the hospital, Jenn held my hand and said, 'The bad news is that you have to start all over again, but the good news is that you get to start all over again.' You have to deal with your emotions, but you have all this beautiful life ahead that you're going to experience. We have to get as much out of life for as many people as we can. James knows that now, and I think that's a little bit of the spirit of Relay for Life."

THE DETAILS

Relay for Life Novato will kick off at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 28, with a special opening ceremony with participation of survivors and their caregivers. All survivors are welcome to register ahead of time or just come out and register onsite. Special prizes, shirts and breakfast will be provided for all survivors. A note for nearby residents: There will be lots of cars parked on the streets in in that area. For more information, contact Crystal Ferreira at fourferreiras@att.net.