My Fundraising Page

Racing to Save Lives -

"This one's for you."

Hello everyone!

12/14/08: Finished the Marathon in 5:14:14 or 12:06 minute miles. You can go to te Honolulu Marathon website and look up race results to see my times and "click" on the camera to see pictures of me dragging..." Mahalo again to everyone and can't wait for Alika to get back.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT AND DONATIONS!!! I HAVE MET AND PASSED ALL MY FUNDRAISING GOALS AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL.

TO ALIKA -HANG IN THERE BRO AND I, WE, ALL OF US ARE ALWAYS THINKING OF YOU AND PRAYING FOR YOU.

11/17/08: THE MARATHON IS LESS THAN 1 MONTH AWAY AND I JUST FINISHED MY LAST LONG RUN OF 21 MILES - SEE BELOW..(IT WAS VERY HARD!)

I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL ON RACE DAY, DECEMBER 14TH (HONOLULU PEOPLE). CALL ME AT 203-7424 TO LET ME KNOW WHERE YOU WILL BE STANDING.

I am still accepting donations for anyone that you know that would like to give. Thank you!

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Welcome to my 2008 Honolulu Marathon Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in the 2008 Honolulu Marathon on December 14 as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

I am dedicating this marathon to Alika Simpson (please visit: http://alikasimpson.blogspot.com for his personal journey) who is battling Hodgkin lymphoma. I have known Alika for a few years (probably more like 10), met him up in Seattle, and had a lot of good times with him and our friends.

On Sunday, 7/27/08, I officially began my training, three days after I spoke to Alika and asked him if I could dedicate my training and completing the marathon to him. He said Yes! and here I am. I will be training over the next 4 1/2 months. It is also coinciding with the time that Alika will be at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona undergoing treatment for his Hodgkin lymphoma. Everyday I train, I will be thinking of him knowing that he will beat it and I am with him all the way!

In this space I wil be posting my training "long" runs and times. Every Sunday, I will be updating so you can see my training progress.

There are many others who everyday are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance the LLS's mission. I am asking your help by donating $1 per mile that I run. $26 for 26 miles, or any multiple of that. I appreciate your support for this great cause. My goal is to raise a total of $2,500.00!

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

Quote from Alika's blog (07/29/08): "Like my good friend Masa told me, I need to look this thing in the face and make it regret that it ever chose to mess with me..."

I would also like to mention that another close friend, Eric Teruya, from Maui is a myeloma survivor and was my initial reason for joining Team In Training back in 2006. He is doing well, with the myeloma in remission and I continue to wish him the best! Eric, you are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Lastly, my friend's brother had leukemia and is now in remission. His name is Byron Nakasone and I am adding him as an honoree for this year's marathon. Thank you Byron!

Aloha,

John Gephart

Update:

7/27/08 - 8 miles (Mililani Mauka) 1:20:40

8/10/08 - 8 miles (Mililani Mauka) 1:19:26

8/17/08 - 10 miles (Mililani Mauka) 1:45:27

8/29/08 - 8 miles (Waikele) 1:23:10

8/31/08 - 12 miles (Mililani Mauka) 2:03:20

9/7/08: - 12 miles (Mililani Mauka) 1:55:10

9/14/08: - 14 miles (Mililani Mauka) 2:22:16

9/21/08: - 12 miles (Mililani Mauka) 1:54:26

9/28/08: - 16 miles (Mililani Mauka) 2:31:18

10/5/08: - 16 miles (Mililani Mauka) 2:35:46

10/19/08: - 14 miles (Mililai Mauka) 2:22:28

11/2/08: - 18 miles (Mililani Mauka) 3:10:11

11/9/08: - 10 miles (Waikele) 1:39:14

11/16/08: - 21 miles (Mililani Mauka) 3:44:00

Total training miles since July 27th as of 12/14/08 = 292 miles (including the Marathon)

Updates:

10/3/08: The cause has recently been featured in both the Central Oahu People and the West Oahu People community newspapers for the Team In Training (cut and paste the link for the article): http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081001/COMPUB05/810010312/1226

OR

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20080924/COMPUB03/809240324/1224?GID=Fyv3ajn92Z1rO2KIwzp+ec3JXWHQ7b8WWrKmhDZdd18%3D -- same article : )

10/3/08: Total donations to date is $3500!! My goal was $2500, then $2700, now...I am raising it to $4000! Thank you for your continued support and donations. The marathon is more than 2 months away and together we have met and exceeded all expectations! Alika's support is so strong! Thank you again!!

10/1/08: Another big donation from my wife, Rusti's employer, UFCW Local 480, for $500!!!

9/4/08: Total pledged and received donations to date is $2202.00!! I just can't wait until the numbers post online to share the great news!

9/3/08: Due to the overwhelming response and support for Alika and the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I have increased my marathon fundraising goal by $200 to $2700!! It's been a month since I began training and asking for donations and together with Alika's blog and generous support from friends and family and, not to mention, Maui Divers, we have already raised $1952.00!! Much mahalos to everyone who has donated so far. Please spread the word of the blog and this website and together we can raise more $$ to find a cure!!

9/2/08: Make that... $650 away from our goal of $2500.

9/1/08: Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! I want to also thank Maui Divers who generously donated $1000.00 on behalf of Alika, who works there. With that donation, we are $700 away from our goal!!

Aloha, John Gephart