My Fundraising Page

Mary's Fundraising Page- Thanks for Stopping By!

5/12/09- Milestones!

This weekend was big in that I hit two major milestones in my Team in Training experience. On Friday night, with the success of Kegger for Cancer, I passed the $2500 fundraising minimum to run in San Diego. On Sunday, I ran the longest run of the season, 20 miles. Both were difficult, both felt impossible at times, and I could not have done either without all of your support. It would be amazing to reach $3000 before race day, so if you haven't donated yet please give what you can. And if you have donated, there's just one thing left to do... Let's run this marathon!!!

4/29/09- The fundraising site is getting lots of new traffic this week, and I couldn't be happier! The fundraising minimum is well within our sights, as are the 26.2 miles in San Diego. In this time of economic hardship for so many, it's amazing to see all of you digging deep and giving so generously. Our small group of runners who meet every Sunday (around 50 people) has already raised $250,000! That's a quarter of a million dollars, and we're still a month away from race day. Be proud of your contribution, even if it's small, it is making a BIG difference for someone battling cancer. I'm up to 17 miles, and feeling great. Thanks so much for your support!!! XO, Mary

3/30/09- Yesterday I ran 12 miles, which sounds so ridiculous that I can hardly believe it. Your generous donations are warming my heart, and motivating me through aches, pains, doubts, and bad weather. I'm so proud to be doing this, and so grateful for your donations.

UPDATE: To donate by check, please make all checks payable to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and mail them to me at 9033 1/2 Hubbard St, Culver City, CA 90232. Thanks for all your support!

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Thank you for taking the time to check out my Team in Training Fundraising page. I'll be updating this website as I train for the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon! Yes, that's right, I said Marathon (or as I prefer to call it, a Mary-thon). That's 26.2 miles of sweat, determination, endurance, and hopefully no vomit.

Anyone who knows my love for reality television knows that I wouldn't just get up and run a marathon on my own. I've joined up with the wonderful organization Team in Training in order to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The minimum to participate in the race is $2500, but since I'm an overachiever, I'd love to see my team raise $4000. It's a big goal, but if everyone gives, I know we can do it.

A little about what brought me to this event... For the last 7 months, I've worked as a study coordinator on cancer clinical trials at UCLA. In that position, I have had the privilege of getting to know individuals as they undergo experimental treatment for lymphoma. These patients do a tremendous service to the medical field, in that they volunteer their bodies for a new treatment with no guarantees that it will work for them. They drive miles out of their way to see us at UCLA, they attend extra research appointments, give extra blood and often pay for the treatments with their own insurance policies. New drugs do not make it into the bodies of the patients who need them without the invaluable contributions of the clinical trial participants.

While I can't participate in a chemotherapy trial, this is something I can do to say thank you to all of those trial participants who give so much, so that others have a better shot. While I'm definitely nervous about what I'm about to put my body through in training to run 26 miles, it's nothing compared to an individual battling a blood cancer.

As I said before, I can't cross that finish line without your help, and any amount you can donate is appreciated. I know times are tight right now, but leukemia and lymphoma research must not stop. Your contribution will help keep it going, and your support will keep me going when the miles seem like too many.

Thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for your generosity!

XOXO,

Mary

P.S. Leave me a comment with your favorite song to get pumped up to! Your music choices will help me through the workouts!