My Fundraising Page

My son Clayton, about age 2 and his Grandpa Ben Benda - 1996

Trisha's Fundraising Page!

Hiking for a Cure

Hello Friends and Family!

September 8, 2008

This last weekend I made my way to Estes Park, Colorado and the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park, along with 5 of my fellow Washington/Alaska teammates. We joined 49 other hikers from across the states for the big Event Hike on Saturday, September 6th. The 55 of us combined raised $250,000 for The LLS. I can't express how proud I am to have contributed to this total and I hope you know that I couldn't have done my part without the help and support of many people.

The friends I've made and the people who have shared their stories of cancer with me during this journey, have touched my heart in a lasting way. And those of you who gave so generously are truly appreciated!

I am just $105.00 from reaching my $4000.00 goal. If you have been considering donating, please consider donating now.

Be sure to visit my blog to read about my trip to Flattop Mountain in the RMNP. The pictures are fabulous and will be uploaded to my online gallery within the next few days, so check back soon.

My Rocky Mountain venture with Hike For Discovery is drawing to a close for the fall, but I will be back next summer and plan to hike Long's Peak - a 14000 foot peak in the RMNP - the highest peak in the RMNP.

But my adventures with The LLS and Team In Training (Hike For Discovery) are not over for the year! Beginning in November I will be a participant in the TNT Cross Country Skiing fundraising event. I've commited to raising $2800 for The LLS and will be fundraising through March. Check back soon for my new fundraising page dedicated to my skiing adventure.

I'll continue to update my blog with my ongoing hiking events and my new cross country skiing events.

Thank you, thank you to each of you who have supported me!

August 19th, 2008

We are getting closer and closer to the Big Event Hike! Coming up on Thursday, September 4th I'll be airborne for Denver and the Rocky Mountain National Park. We have just one more team hike on Saturday the 23rd and then an on my own hike with friends and family on Labor Day weekend. I've had so much fun hiking and getting to see all the fabulous trails in Washington; I'm sad to see summer and my team hiking come to an end!

While my Hike For Discovery team hikes will be over after the Denver trip, I'll continue to raise funds for The LLS until about the 1st of October. Then I'll take a break til next summer.

To date I have raised almost $3700 of my $5500.00 goal! All my friends and family (and strangers alike!) who have supported my efforts this summer - I cannot thank you enough. If you have been planning on donating, please do so now. I'm hoping to reach my $5500.00 goal by September 4th. That's $1800.00 needed in just two-and-a-half weeks. I know I can do it with your help!

Coming up this Friday I am having a Texas Holdem party. Can't make it? Please consider donating online. Even just $25.00 makes a difference. If you'd like to come to the party, drop me an email and I'll send you the details.

Raffle: Platt Electric Supply, with much assistance from Holly Knight and Brian Long, held a raffle selling $5.00 tickets. They sold 202 tickets raising $1010.00! The drawing was August 8th and the winners are:

• 1st place winner: Chris Jobst – Dewalt Heavy Duty Bag with Accessory set.
• 2nd place winner: Greg Vandegraaf -Hole Saw Kit
• 3rd place winner: Bridgette Cheal -Dottie Tool Bag

BIG, BIG THANKS to Holly, Brian and Platt Electric Supply!

My Blog: I've been blogging about my summer hiking and posting pictures on my Hike For Discovery - Rocky Mountain Blog.

Bunco Night was a great success! Thank you Julie Smith for hosting! Bunco night raised $450.00! Traci Pigg won most Bunco's and won two guest passes on Alaska Airlines; Patricia Benda won a prize basket full of Tropical Goodies for "Most Losses" and Delores won a $25.00 gift certificate to Vino Bello for "Most Wins." And all players won one or two thank you gifts. Again, many, many thanks to my friend Julie for hosting!

July 31, 2008

Welcome to my Hike For Discovery home page.

If you are here, then you know that I have joined The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Hike For Discovery. HFD is an adventure fundraising program that prepares people to experience a natural wonder in a special way. Prior to joining HFD, I had hiked only a handful of times and my fundraising efforts had been limited to my kids' PTA's. So to say that I was a little shell-shocked to find myself checking the yes box to join this program is not an exaggeration! But here I am - An official team member!

We have about a month left of training and then we are off for the big event. Every weekend that I get out there on the trail has become an exciting adventure. A new opportunity to see our beautiful state and a new opportunity to get to know my hike buddies better. Between carpooling to trailheads and spending several hours on the trail, I'm coming to know my fellow teammates. Hearing their stories of how cancer has touched their lives and why they joined Hike For Discovery has become an experience I'll cherish always.

Last weekend we hiked Wallace Falls up in Goldbar. Be sure to check out My Photo Gallery as I've added lots of new pictures - both from last weekend and from previous hikes. Be sure to leave your comments - I'd love to hear from you!

A little about why I joined Hike For Discovery.... I am hiking in memory of my father-in-law, Ben Benda, who passed away in 1998. That's him in the photo up above before he became ill. He was the apple of my son Clayton's eye and vice versa. Ben was a wonderful man who survived Hodgkin's in his mid-20's but lost his battle with lung cancer. I am also hiking in honor of my Mom, Sandra Cook, who is a cancer-survivor and my father, Hebron Cook. My Dad had surgery two years ago to remove lesions from his lungs and has recently been told that the lesions are back and inoperable. He also suffers from COPD. We are hoping for as much time as possible for him.

My goal is to raise $5500 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That is a lofty goal, but I know it's possible and I'd like to ask for your help. It doesn’t matter how big or small your donation is, what is important is that your gift will help better the lives of those facing a difficult road fighting cancer.

Today I’m asking you to donate to help find a cure for blood cancers and help those facing that fight have a better quality of life. All donations are tax deductible and a receipt will be sent to you from the LLS for your contribution.

To date I've raised a total of $2655. My goal was to reach $2500 by August first and with your help I did so! This is exciting! But if you haven't donated yet, please do so! I haven't yet reached my goal of $5500.00 and need your help! My next goal is to raise another $1000 by August 15th. You can donate online, buy a raffle ticket or join me at Bunco or Texas Holdem'.

Raffle - Platt Electric Supply

Platt Electric Supply in Seattle is generously holding a raffle. The tickets are $5 each and the drawing will be this Friday, August 8th. There are three prizes with the first prize being a Dewalt tool bag full of goodies! Contact me for your ticket today so you don't miss out on the drawing!

Bunco Night

Bunco night is Friday, August 8th. It's a $50.00 donation to play and everyone will receive a prize. Don't worry if you've never played Bunco, it's fun and easy and you can still be a big winner even if you don't know how to play! It's BYOB and I'll provide the snacks. Give me a call or send an email for more information. Be sure to invite a friend!

Texas Holdem Night

Maybe Bunco isn't your style? How about Texas Holdem'? This fundraiser is taking place at my house on Friday, August 22nd. The buy-in is a donation of $30.00. $10.00 goes into the pot and $20.00 gets donated to The LLS. BYOB although there'll be some fun jello shots available for a small donation! I'll provide the snacks. Call or email for more info!

Thank you Corky Cellars!

I want to thank Rick & Dianne and CorkyCellars as well as all who supported my Wine Tasting Fundraiser in June. It was a big success and I truly appreciate the support!

If you have any questions or concerns about donating to the LLS, please contact me at tabenda@comcast.net.

Thank you so much for all of your support. You can keep track of my fundraising progress via this webpage. In addition, I’ll be logging my journey with this year’s program at Hike For Discovery - Rocky Mountain Blog.

Thank you!

Trisha Benda