Battle Ground resident Lydia Stuart, 21, recently took on the biggest physical endeavor she has faced since ending cancer treatment.
Stuart completed the 202-mile Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic on July 18.
“Being active after being sick has always been really important to me,” said Stuart, a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor. “It’s going to be an amazing experience to do this ride with my family.”
She rode with her dad and mom, Randy and Denise Stuart; her uncle and aunt, Don Conner and Tani Mask; her cousin, Robyn Mask; and two second cousins. Her grandparents followed the route in a motor home to provide cold water and other nourishment.
Stuart was attending Whitworth College in Spokane when she was diagnosed with lymphoma.
“I could barely make it through the day, and I was constantly getting fevers,” she said. “I knew something was wrong.”
She returned home and underwent treatment at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Her cancer has been in remission for 22 months.
Grant funds Vancouver art teacher’s outreach
Despite its uncertain future and financial shortfalls, the Sixth Street Gallery is still looking for ways to make a difference in the community.
The gallery recently received a $2,000 grant from Target to provide art education for low-income and at-risk youth.
Some classes will take place at the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center, while others will be offered at the gallery.
Vancouver’s Katey Sandy — a Sixth Street Gallery member and one of the featured artists in the gallery’s August exhibit — is among the teachers taking part in the program. She hopes to spend a week in August teaching painting and collage at the gallery.
She was inspired to become involved, in part, because of her experience volunteering at Silver Star Elementary School. She has helped teach art classes as part of summer programs at the school in the past.
“I like to give back to the community,” she said.
Sandy, 72, hopes to inspire the students with the classes.
“I hope they feel good about themselves and they realize that everybody can be creative,” she said. “I think doing artwork develops certain parts of the brain that really helps kids in all aspects of school.”
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