A movie a few years ago called "Pay It Forward" struck a chord with a southwest Iowa man. The concept of "paying forward" has to do with making good faith gestures in hopes the good karma comes back around.
Thirty-four-year-old Tony Gross, of Creston, lost his wife of 14 years, Vicky, to cancer earlier this year, leaving him with two young sons. Gross wants to make a gesture now to help those who helped him, according to his aunt, Lori McIntosh of Creston.
McIntosh says "Tony is continuing to pay it forward. He is donating his 1998 Honda Shadow motorcycle, 600 CC, to be raffled off, and all proceeds are going to Relay For Life." While Vicky was undergoing treatment for leukemia at a Des Moines hospital, strangers from Waukee donated money to the Gross family to help them pay their medical bills. Lisa Johns is another aunt of Tony Gross and Johns says the relays will be held June 8th and 9th at the Creston High School track.
Johns says anyone can buy luminaries to honor someone who is fighting cancer or in honor of someone who has lost their fight. They’re still taking applications for teams who want to run in the event, with teams up to 15 members for a 50-dollar registration fee. The drawing for the motorcycle will be held at the relay event. For more information, call (641) 344-5439.