Suffolk News-Herald

Just how much would you pay to have a life-sized purple potty removed from your front lawn?

That’s the question being posed by Sylvia Fowler to local residents when they find the &uot;lawn ornament&uot; parked out front of their home. Fowler, of 210 Staley Dr., is a member of &uot;The Flushables,&uot; a team in the May 16 and 17 &uot;Relay for Life&uot; event.

&uot;We take the commode out to place it in someone’s yard after a donor has made a $10 contribution to the American Cancer Society,&uot; said Fowler. &uot;We give them a flyer; pink with purple writing of course, telling the recipient they have been blessed because someone made that donation in their honor. Then they have to make their own donation, and some give more than $10, just to get the thing out of their yard.&uot;

Now if all this sounds a little crazy, then Fowler is crazy like a fox. She knows placing the purple potty around town is bound to raise a few dollars, if not a few eyebrows!

&uot;I’m thankful to God and proudly proclaim that I am a one-year cancer survivor,&uot; said Fowler. &uot;I feel great and I’m looking good! One of the main reasons for all my success is all the new cancer research made possible with donations made during the Relay for Life events.&uot;

Fowler also thanked her family and friends for all their love and prayers, and she is especially grateful to Doctors Su, Blake and Blevins and their staff at Obici Hospital. She is also thankful she had such great nurses like Christy Lynch and Pam Deehan.

The odyssey of the purple &uot;vase&uot; began when Fowler was visiting a Littleton, N.C. home. It was stationed at the front of the home and as she observed the placement of the potty, she was told it was all in good fun as a fundraiser.

&uot;My mind was already racing around about how we could used this as a great way to &uot;flush out cancer,&uot; since I had to have my mediport flushed out at every chemo treatment and each month after they ended.&uot;

Fowler and her husband didn’t take long acquiring their own objets d’art. They painted them purple and pink, and joined the &uot;Christy’s Clowns&uot; relay team.

&uot;Those potties have been lawn ornaments for lawyers, dentists, banks, realtors, and even Duke Auto,&uot; said Fowler. &uot;Oh, and they will be on display at the Relay for Life events.&uot;

R. Eley Duke said he got a big kick out of the lovely lawn ornament when it was set in front of the family-owned Main Street business. Duke is a &uot;Gold Sponsor&uot; for the ACS.

&uot;Of course I couldn’t get it out of here quick enough,&uot; said Duke. &uot;Actually, that thing is an excellent fund raising ploy. I don’t know of any lucky person who wouldn’t pay to get rid of it! The Duke family is dedicated to serving the community and we certainly support the American Cancer Society.&uot;

Fowler has three of these monstrosities, and husband and son, George and Travis, are anxious to get them out of their yard, too. Anyone who would like to send this commemoration of the 2003 Relay for Life to another may call 539-2214 and it will be delivered to your lucky &uot;friend.&uot;

If you want to make sure your yard or business isn’t graced with the thing again after riding yourself of it, then purchase the &uot;Potty Insurance&uot; for a one-time charge of $20.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to ACS should make checks payable to that organization and mail them to Fowler at 210 Staley Ave., Suffolk, 23434, or call for more information on the Relay for Life events.