'Just Josh'n Around'
Family, friends walk in memory of loved oneBy ERIN HIPPLE — Express Staff Writer
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For the family of Josh Gummo, Josh’n Around and Josh’n Around Too are groups of family and friends who spend countless hours each year participating in the Relay for Life event and fundraising for a family member whose life was cut short.
Josh was only 19 when he passed away in 1998 from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
But Josh’s young age did not hinder him from becoming a truly memorable person in the lives of his family, neighbors and friends, which is why his parents created a Relay for Life team in Josh’s hometown of Emporium: Josh’n Around.
With the success of Josh’n Around, Josh’s aunts, uncles and cousins from Lock Haven felt the need to create Josh’n Around Too, a second group of dedicated individuals who work together to support Josh’s memory.
“This is the third year we’ve participated in the Relay for Life event,” said Sonia Gummo, Josh’s aunt, as she stood in front of the family’s tent. “Mary, my daughter, is our team captain and my sister-in-law, Dottie, is her mentor.”
Some of the nearly 15 members of Josh’n Around Too include Sonia, her husband Greg, sons Greg Jr. and Corey, daughters Kayla and Mary, Linda and Thomas Streck, Zach Conway and girlfriend Candy, and Kara Mark.
And Mary’s leadership as team captain is quite unique, as she is only 14.
“Mary is also doing this as her senior project... or she will when she is a senior,” said Sonia, motioning to her daughter dressed in a red, custom-made Josh’n Around Too T-shirt.
Mary, who attends, Central Mountain Middle School, knows that Josh was a special person in her family, although she was never able to meet him.
“When I was in sixth grade, I was on Sugar Valley’s Relay team the Angels. When I got to Lock Haven, I knew my family had to create a team and this was it,” she said, looking around to her parents, grandparents, brothers, sister, aunt, uncle and closest friends.
“I want this to be my senior project,” said Mary. “I’m going to create a scrapbook and design pages for each year we’ve participated in the Relay.”
To add, the Relay is only one culminating event that Josh’n Around Too takes part in. In fact, the team spends most of the year selling candy, sandwiches, hoagies and raffle tickets in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
During the Relay for Life event, the team hosts an auction with one-of-a-kind, Amish wood-crafted items such as lighthouses, coat hangars and even a picnic table.
The money from the auction adds to the team’s bulk donation at the end of the event, and this year the goal is bigger than ever.
“Last year we raised $1,290,” said Sonia. “We’re already at $1,200 this year, so we’re going to go way above and beyond by the time we donate.”
The family donates much more than money, though. Mary believes that by walking in the Relay, they’re donating hope.
“I just want people to know that we’re here for them, and that we understand what they’re going through (when they lose a family member to cancer),” said Mary. “And I want Josh to know that I love him and miss him, although I never knew him.”
Dottie Tressler looked over to Mary and smiled as the young teenager and her closest friend, Kara, proudly decided to take a lap despite the worsening rain.
“He was such a champion,” said Dottie, seeing the same qualities in Mary as she did in Josh. “He was so kind and took care of everyone. He’d be the first one outside in the morning shoveling the snow,” she said with tears in her eyes.
And Dottie realizes that Josh was even a hero during his weakest times.
“Josh had a bone marrow transplant and was home in three months. Most people can’t do that after three months, but Josh did. He was too strong,” she said.
Diagnosed when he was just 11, Josh’s battle was never easy, but his heart stayed strong.
Being in remission for five years, from age 13 to 18, Josh was able to spend most of his teenage years playing football, wrestling and spending time outside.
Dottie and Sonia both agree that one of Josh’s biggest passions was forestry, and he planned to go to school for it. Staying true to the spirit of Northern Pa, Josh also loved fishing and hunting.
“He was truly our hero,” said Sonia.
To keep Josh’s memory alive, the family and friends continue to participate in the Relay for Life event each year, and plan to do so long into the future.
“We are here to honor Josh, and to hopefully prevent this from happening to someone else,” said Dottie. “Something I always tell everyone is that Josh was taken so early because he was so special.”
The family agrees that if Josh were here now, he would tell them all to quit making such a fuss over him.
Instead, he would be out there on the Relay track walking proudly for someone else.
