Thank You!

Thanks to all who donated! I've reached my goal and can now focus my energies on getting into shape for the 14 mile hike at Zion National Park! If you came to this web-site to donate, please do! The fight against leukemia and other blood cancers is not over.

The Zion team is enduring very warm temperatures as we train for our 14 mile hike this fall. This is only serving to strengthen our resolve.

Early last Saturday morning, before our practice hike began, the group leader asked if we wanted to dedicate the mornings hike in honor of someone. I asked if we could hike that morning in the memory of a young boy named Kevin.

I never knew Kevin or his family, but his story is one that I have come to know as a result of my work with the LLS and TNT program. Kevin lived in California and was diagnosed with leukemia around the same time as my son Andrew. Unfortunately, Kevin was robbed of all of his tomorrows when he succumbed to this disease.

When I accepted the challenge from TNT to fund raise & prepare for a 14 mile hike, I never anticipated the emotional impact it would have on my life. I have been touched by the generosity of my family, close friends, old friends, co-workers and complete strangers.

I now realize that I am not only doing this hike/fund raiser for my son Andrew, but also for a little boy I never met. I am doing this hike so that this disease will stop robbing all the Kevin’s of this world of their tomorrows.

My son Andrew was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia and had to undergo 2 ½ years of Chemotherapy. He was only 4 years of age at that time. One year after the completion of his treatment, he relapsed and had to endure another 1 ½ years of intensive chemotherapy to fight this disease.

This past June, Andrew graduated from Ward Melville High School with Honors from the National Technicial Society. This fall, Andrew plans on attending college majoring in the culinary arts.

As he was preparing for his high school graduation, I received an invitation from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to join their Team In Training. Their challenge to me was to prepare for a 14 mile hike in Zion National Park and raise $3,800 for research into blood cancers.

In view of all that Andrew had gone through, I accepted this challenge as a way to commerate his battle and to celebrate the life that is ahead of him.

I hope you can help me reach this goal.

Thanks,

Mike Doskotz

Hiking to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in an endurance event 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 completing this event in honor of all individuals who 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 LLS's mission.

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