There is only 1 month left until the big race and thanks to my AMAZING friends and family I have already raised $1,910!!! The response and support I have received from friends and family has been awesome! It brings tears to my eyes to think how many of them have made contributions in memory of my Granddaddy Okey. He was so loved and is very missed.

My team of princesses (and 1 prince) accomplished running 8 miles in the freezing cold this past weekend and this Saturday we will run 10 miles!! The training has been hard, but it is nothing compared to those battling cancer. During our 8 mile run, I thought back to funny memories of my Granddaddy around mile 5 to keep my mind off my burning legs. He used to tease all of us grandkids and he had nicknames for all of us...mine was "Eli" Whitney. I laughed to myself when I remembered how everytime I brought him one of my school pictures he would tell me that he was going to put it in his garden to scare the birds away!

Then around mile 7 I passed my teammate Tina who is running in honor of her 14 year old son Jordan who was diagnosed with ALL T-cell Leukemia over a year ago. He is doing well but it is a constant battle for their family. I pray that the funds we are raising will help the researchers to eventually find a cure for cancer so kids like Jordan don't have to battle this horrible disease anymore!

It was an emotional Christmas this year at the Perkins house. My Granddaddy Okey passed away on December 22nd. We miss him very much, but it is a blessing that he is not suffering anymore. He was 86 years old and lived a good, long life.

Now over the next few months, I will be running in memory of my Granddaddy. As I train in the cold and suffer through the long mileage, I will think about my favorite memories of him. He always told the best stories and jokes. He had a wonderful personality and he never met a stranger. I will cherish the memories of him forever.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers for my family and especially for my Mema. They were married for 64 years so it is hard for her to imagine the days ahead without him. I also appreciate the amazing support of my fundraising campaign from my friends and family! I appreciate the very generous donations that I have received so far. Every little bit helps us get closer to a cure!

Racing to Save Lives

Granddaddy Okey and my sister Rachael

Dear Friends & Family,

I have signed up to run another half marathon with Team In Training! This time I will be packing my tiara and heading back to Orlando to run 13.1 miles at the Disney Princess race on February 27, 2011!

As most of you know, I started working with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in August. I got involved with this organization a few years ago as a participant and volunteer, next it became my career, and now it has become a personal mission for me. The week I started working at LLS, my Granddaddy Okey was diagnosed with CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia). Thankfully LLS helped to fund the research that developed a targeted drug for CML patients that he is able to take. This was a huge success in the fight against cancer, but there are still over 900,000 Americans living with a blood cancer. Those people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support in crossing the ultimate finish line – a cure!

I ask that you consider sponsoring me by making a tax-deductible donation to LLS so that we can continue our mission and fund research to find a cure for blood cancers. You can make an online donation on this webpage or you can mail a check made out to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to me at 2 Saint Claire Lane Atlanta, GA 30324.

My goal is to raise $2,600! I appreciate your help and support. I will be training and running the race in honor of my Granddaddy. I would love to hear your story or connection so that I can run in honor or memory of your loved ones as well. Please forward this webpage on to anyone you think may be interested in fighting cancer! Thanks so much!

Relentless for a Cure,

Whitney