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Cancer survivors, loved ones sought as AOH volunteers









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Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts will receive the 2008 Ambassador of Hope award on Oct. 18 in Omaha. Cancer survivors and their friends and loved ones are being asked to volunteer for the event.

Cancer survivors and their friends, family and loved ones are being sought to serve as volunteers for the Ambassador of Hope Gala on Oct. 18 at Qwest Center Omaha.

The volunteers will be asked to help form a human bridge from the Omaha Hilton to the Qwest Center, through which the 2008 Ambassador of Hope Award recipient — Good Morning America Anchor Robin Roberts — will walk as she makes her way to the gala.

The volunteers also will assist with the “Pledge for a Cure” event at the gala that will raise money for research at the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center.

“We want the volunteers to help us put a face on what we are trying to accomplish at the gala,” said Melonie Welsh, director of development for the University of Nebraska Foundation and Ambassador of Hope committee member. “We want people to see that this gala supports research that helps real people.”







“We want the volunteers to help us put a face on what we are trying to accomplish at the gala. We want people to see that this gala supports research that helps real people.”



Melonie Welsh



The gala, which is hosted by the Friends of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, is held every two years and is one of the top fundraising events in the city. In 2006, when legendary newscaster Tom Brokaw was honored, the event raised nearly $1.6 million for the cancer center.

Those who wish to volunteer can do so by clicking here. At the Web site, volunteers will be asked to provide a 100-word description of how they have been affected by cancer. These descriptions will be displayed on the tables at the gala to show attendees how the disease affects people, Welsh said.

On the night of the gala, volunteers will receive a light dinner and will be a part of a group picture with Roberts, a breast cancer survivor.

For more information about volunteering, contact Welsh at 502-4117 or mwelsh@nufoundation.org. Go to nebraskahope.org for more information about the gala.