It’s not only “Lyle’s” Area Cancer Auction.

It’s not even Carpenter, Iowa’s.

Just like cancer doesn’t discriminate, neither do the hard-working volunteers who have raised more than $1 million in 29 years of Lyle Area Cancer Auction cancer research fundraising.

This is everybody’s cancer research fundraiser.

It’s Dexter’s, Elkton’s, Rose Creek’s, Adams’, Grand Meadow’s, Hayfield’s, Brownsdale’s — even Taopi’s.

It’s Stacyville’s in Iowa and St. Ansgar, Grafton, Northwood, Manly and Riceville, too.

All of those towns in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa put the “Area” in Lyle Area Cancer Auction.

Yes. Lyle is the eye of the storm of happy fundraising taking place Friday and Saturday at American Legion Post No. 105, but it couldn’t be as successful as it has been for 29 years without helping hands from small towns and the rural areas around Lyle.

“We couldn’t do it without them,” said Larry Ricke, co-chairperson. “We need everybody’s help.”

And, they are getting it. According to Ricke, the solicitations committee’s volunteers, who visit southern Minnesota and northern Iowa businesses for donated items for the auction are not being rejected.

“It’s been a pleasant surprise this year given the poor economic situation,” Ricke said. “Wherever we go, businesses are helping out again.”

“They say ‘I like what you’re doing,’ ‘It’s for a good cause’ and “How can we help?,’” he said.

For the first time this year, the annual cancer research fundraiser will become multi-cultural.

Ricke and his wife, Cindy, visited a bakery, Alicia Panaderia Mexicana, prospecting for a donation for the auction. “They told us they would think about it and to come back,” he said. “When we did come back, they were kind enough to donate four $25 gift certificates.”

That means in addition to Faye Strouf’s canned pickles and Dorothy Berg’s home-baked breads and pies, successful bidders will have the opportunity to sample conchas, bolillos and pan de huevo egg bread with vanilla or chocolate toppings.

This last week before the weekend’s fundraising fun has been busy for the volunteers.

“We’re still selling Harley tickets for $20 a piece,” Ricke said. “And the solicitations committee is still canvassing every town in the area for donations.”

The annual raffle of a new Harley Davidson motorcycle pumps $20,000 into the weekend’s fundraising total.

Last year, $125,000 was raised for the Fifth District Eagles Cancer Telethon to be televised on KTTC Channel 10 this weekend.

Raising a six-figure sum of money for five years straight would not be possible by holding an auction alone. Thus, there are Spring Fling, Halfway to Cancer Bash, Ramakers’ Haunted Barn and other fundraising activities going on throughout the year.

Across the border from Lyle, volunteers in the Carpenter and St. Ansgar communities band together to hold a pool tournament the weekend before the climactic auction at Lyle.

“I was down there last weekend (Jan. 9 and 10 for the pool tournament and they were very successfully once again,” said Ricke, who declined to announce how much was raised.

Jessie Meyer is co-chairperson of the cancer research fundraising efforts.

It gets harder and harder to describe just what happens at the Lyle American Legion headquarters and adjoining city garage each year in January.

“I think one of the biggest reasons for its success,” Meyer explained, “is when people realize where their money is going and that its for cancer research. Cancer has touched everyone’s life it seems.

“The atmosphere is just amazing,” Meyer continued. “It’s just so different than anything else like it.”

The atmosphere gets noisy, grows silent, gets noisy again and takes auction-goers on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the evening.

Banners on the walls list the names of cancer victims and survivors.

There’s cheers and tears alternating through the evening, when families donate an item to be auctioned in memory of a loved one who died of cancer.

Caps come off and hands cross hearts when Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American” echoes from the public address system.

Surprises like the year Ricke agreed to have his head shaved to raise money for the auction keep people interested.

“I have been coming to the auction since I can remember,” said Meyer, who juggles her career, program coordinator for the Disabled Activity Center at Adams and being a wife and mother with the time-consuming auction duties.

“I’ve clerked the auction and done about every job there is,” she said. “Everybody wants to help with this.”

Ricke said he is constantly brainstorming new ideas for the auction.

“I’m always thinking ‘What can I do to get more people to come to the auction,’” he said. “And we always want new volunteers to become involved.”

This year, Ricke and the committee have recruited seven new clerks and ring men to help and Russ Slowinski has recruited more auctioneers to help, too.

The $20 charity raffle tickets for the new Harley Davidson motorcycle will be sold Friday and Saturday until the drawing is held near 10 p.m. Saturday.

Families are welcome to attend. A connecting passageway between the Legion Post and the city garage protects all from winter weather.

The Legion Post dining hall is where bidders go to relax and enjoy food and other refreshments.

The first item to be sold goes up for bid at 6 p.m. Friday and the auction fun resumes at noon Saturday.

Sometime — usually 2:30 p.m. or later — on Sunday, a delegation of volunteers from area small towns will visit Rochester for an appearance on the live broadcast of the Fifth District Eagles Cancer Telethon on KTTC.

Anyone wishing to donate an item for the live or silent auctions may inquire at the Lyle American Legion Post for more information or call Ricke at 438-7984.