Friends rally to support Yuman's battle against cancer

When Yuma native Bridget Martinez sent e-mail updates about her cancer treatments to friends and family  back home, she started referring to them as Team Bridget.

The name stuck, and now Team Bridget is a close-knit group of people dedicated to the well-being of their good friend, who is suffering from a rare form of breast cancer. They are so dedicated, in fact, that they have already planned and organized five benefits and fundraisers for her treatment and expenses.

Plans are under way for a benefit dinner, a softball tournament, a $19,500 value pool raffle and ongoing sales of Silpada Designs jewelry. There was also a haircut-a-thon benefit Monday, which raised almost $450.

"The benefits are for her," said Irma Valenzuela, Bridget's cousin and a member of the planning committee for Sunday's benefit dinner.

Valenzuela said the money Team Bridget is hoping to raise will go toward the costs associated with out-of-town treatment, including flights, food and bracing for the possibility that the patient's insurance benefits will cap.

Martinez, a 37-year-old massage therapist, was born and raised in Yuma. She was informed in February that she had both inflammatory breast cancer and thyroid cancer in a lymph node under her collarbone. Her doctors recommended that she receive treatment at a specialized hospital in Houston, and she has been traveling back and forth since early June.

After discovering the extent of her treatment plans, Martinez said, "in hours my team went to work, they just want to help me out, it's unbelievable."

Annette Orta, who owns Artesian Pools and Spas with her husband, Ray, will be hosting a benefit raffle of a pool valued at $19,500. With the exception of installation costs, all proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to Bridget and her family. With the installation cost estimated at only $15,000 or $16,000, the proceeds could amount to almost $45,000 if every one of the raffle tickets are sold.

"(We were) thinking, 'What could we do to ease the hardship, now that she has to travel back and forth to Houston?'" Orta said.

While the dinner benefit was the group's very first fundraising idea, Valenzuela said, "it's just blown up to this great big thing and we think it's amazing."

Monic Heile, a childhood friend of Martinez, is another member of the team hosting a benefit along with Jonna Ethington and Brooke Aguilar. Heile will be in charge of two all-night softball tournaments that will begin at 6:30 p.m., both Friday and Saturday, to be held at the middle school field and the Main Street field in Somerton.

With donations from all over the community for lighting, food and T-shirts, as well as the $160 entry fee for each team, the tournament is expected to contribute a large amount of money to the cause. All proceeds will go straight to Bridget, and as of Monday evening, 30 teams had signed up, equaling about $4,800 in entrance fees alone.

Yet another "team member" raising money for Martinez is her sister, Sandy Armenta, who will be using her business of selling Silpada Design jewelry for Martinez's benefit. Every time somebody hosts a Silpada Design party, they receive 30 percent commission from what they sell, and as a part of the benefit, those people are giving their commissions directly to Bridget.

So far, Armenta said, she has sold over $500 in merchandise. "We're trying to do everything we can to help her; (something like this) has never hit this close to home."

Martinez just returned home from Houston on Saturday and will be in Yuma until the first week of July. At that time, she will return to Houston for more treatments. She said she is planning to attend several of the benefits as long as she is feeling well.

"Her strength, her whole attitude towards this has been so positive," Valenzuela said. 

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UPCOMING BENEFITS FOR BRIDGET MARTINEZ

• Silpada design selling until Thursday, contact Sandy Armenta at stylinnsilver@yahoo.com
 • Somerton late-night softball tournament, middle school and Main Street softball fields, Friday and Saturday beginning at 6:30 p.m. and playing until the next morning. $160 per team. There will also be T-shirts, tank tops and food for sale.
 • Benefit dinner Sunday 2 to 6 p.m. at Eagles Hall, 225 S.1st Ave. Taco dinner $6. There will be raffle prizes and music.
 • Win a pool raffle July 31. Tickets are $50 each.