Support Transportation and Resource Services Office Manager Nancy Carlisle, left, stands with some of STARS' newest volunteer drivers.

After a successful Second Annual Camp Out For Cancer, the local Support Transportation and Resource Services group has expanded its services and will now give rides to cancer patients in wheelchairs. They also will offer rides to patients for chemotherapy treatment.

About half of the 25 or so volunteer drivers stopped at the STARS office in Jackson to show off the newest addition to the nonprofit's vehicle fleet.

STARS' newly purchased 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan was purchased from an independent party, using funds raised at last year's Camp Out For Cancer. The Caravan has an automated wheelchair ramp and it can carry two wheelchairs plus one other patient, said Office Manager Nancy Carlisle. Any of their three vans can take patients to chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

STARS also owns a 2003 Ford Windstar and a 2004 Dodge Caravan, both purchased locally. Each can hold five passengers comfortably, plus the driver.

Right now, STARS makes a morning chemo and a morning radiation run, Carlisle said. A Lodi/Stockton run was recently full and now has three riders getting daily radiation treatment. The vans run Monday through Friday, departing from Sutter Amador Hospital. Arrangements also can be made to be picked up from Plymouth Park & Ride and from Ione's Claypool's Market.

The vans go to Sacramento and Rancho Cordova, dropping patients at Sutter Cancer Center, University of California, Davis Cancer Center, Mercy General Hospital and Kaiser. The Stockton/Lodi route delivers patients to St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Teresa's Cancer Center and Ben Schafer Oncology Center.

The strictly volunteer drivers are non-paid, as are the STARS board of directors.

"We filled three spaces of retiring drivers recently and we're always looking for new drivers, either substitutes or full-time drivers," Carlisle said. They currently have about 16 regular substitute drivers, six afternoon drivers and seven regular morning drivers.

The Camp Out For Cancer last year raised $105,000, allowing the nonprofit to purchase two vans. This year, they are nearing that amount.

"Starting today, we're able to transport patients needing chemotherapy treatment," Rolf said Sept. 20, two days after the 2005 Camp Out For Cancer ended. STARS could previously only transport radiation treatment patients, due to the fact that the organization only had two vans. Chemotherapy patients usually are at the doctor's office for about six hours. Now, they have a third van and drivers willing to make the trip down and stay the day during chemotherapy treatments.

Carlisle said that the 2005 Camp Out had raised about $98,000 at last report.

"I have another thousand in the office, so we're really getting close to that $100,000 mark," Carlisle said. Money is still coming in. She was unsure how this year's funds would be spent. "Right now we're just staying with the three vehicles."

The Camp Out, held Sept. 16-17, was an all-night walking relay held specifically to raise money for STARS. During the ceremony, volunteers read more than 3,000 names of survivors and victims of cancer. Rolf said 90 percent of the money stays local, while 10 percent goes to research.

The STARS transportation is free and patients are not allowed to pay for gas or tip the drivers. They can, however, make donations to the program.

For more information or to make a reservation, call STARS Office Manager Nancy Carlisle at 223-1246. The office is at 631 Court St. in Jackson.