In honor of Brianna & Haley

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1 week until we leave for San Diego! THANK YOU for your generosity in giving!! Together we've raised $2,900 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:)

The Team is headed to San Diego next week; the marathon and half marathon are on Sunday, June 5th. We're ready, both physically and emotionally, thanks to the training we've received from Team in Training. Hopefully, my next post will be a photo from the finish line, wearing my medal! Thank you to all who have donated or helped me with fundraisers...we are steps closer to a cure!! GO TEAM!!!

19 days until my teammates and I participate in the San Diego half and full marathon! We've been busy training and fundraising for the past 4 months and now just 3 days to get our final donations in!!! We couldn't have come this far without the love and support of our families and friends...THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Since we had a garage sale on Saturday, I did my long distance training on Sunday...2-1/2 hours ~ it felt good, but was so hot! I hear San Diego doesn't have the same humidity - that's good :)

I hope to have 100% of my goal by May 20...if you've been waiting to donate, now's a good time!!! LOL

Bon Voyage!

Yes, we're planning our Bon Voyage party! Getting pretty excited about going to San Diego for the race :) Just one week left to fundraise...$570 to go... Fundraising for this event is a little different. We MUST reach our goal or put the difference in ourselves, which means as it gets this close, it can be a little stressful. None of us, though, ever lose sight of why we do this. For me, it's because I saw firsthand what cancer can do to a family - sheer devastation ~ but I've also seen what our fundraising can accomplish ~ the succcess stories of Brianna & Haley :) Please help me raise the last few hundred dollars. It's a chance to make a real difference in someone's life...isn't that worth a few bucks??

Thanks for all the support I've gotten so far. It's really encouraged me and kept me going!

May 20th...

That's the deadline for me to reach my $2,900 goal...I have $812 to go! For every $10 donation, you'll get a chance to win an iPod shuffle. The drawing will be on May 20th. Less than 2 weeks for me to raise the last $800 - I can really use everyone's help! Thanks :) I also have a raffle going for 2 tickets to Hippiefest - sounds like a fun concert!

Today I did the Making Waves 5k sponsored by two of my teammates, Sueann & Holly. My daughter, Jackie, did it too, so it was a nice way to start our Mother's Day...walking/running on the beach :) And I bettered my time from my last 5k. A great day!

Travel plans

So excited!! Got our travel itinerary! Team Purple Thunder will soon be on our way to San Diego to represent the Central Florida Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at the Rock n' Roll Marathon! Really looking forward to this accomplishment...and I couldn't have done it without the support of my family, my sponsors and teammates. THANK YOU everyone who has donated or has come out to help me with my events! I really appreciate it.

I've still got some money to raise in order to reach my goal of $2,900. I'm raffling off two tickets to Hippiefest, a 60's and 70's festival and concert that's taking place at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach. AWESOME SEATS!!!! The seats are worth $49 each. Make a $5 donation today and get a chance to win the tickets. For a $10 donation, you'll get three chances! Sounds like it's a fun concert, especially for those of us who can remember those bands!!!! haha!!

I'll be posting new bracelet designs soon - making cool stretchy bracelets and you can get yours for just a $10 donation!

Weekly update:

Just 4 more weeks to go!! Only 18 days left for fundraising. Please consider making a donation! Every penny counts, so don't worry if you don't have $20 to spend. What about $5? It really makes a difference!!

Saturday, finally got back to training after being sick. Did 9 miles through Gemini Springs with the Team. Later, we went to the Daytona Cubs game where we held some raffles and hung out with our families. Fun! On Sunday, Cindee West volunteered her time to host an 80's Zumbathon for LLS. I'm so grateful to everyone's generosity :)

I can't wait to go to San Diego...I'm pretty sure we're going to have an awesome time...but the real reason all of us on the Team are here is because each of us has been impacted by cancer in our lives in one way or another, and we all have the common goal of wanting to wipe it out. We hope you'll help us in reaching that goal.

Update:

It takes the page awhile to be updated, but fundraising is at right about 55% of my goal! The deadline looms ~ May 20th ~ so I really need everyone's help! Please make a donation today to the LLS! Come out to the Daytona Cubs game on Saturday 4/30 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $7 each - let me know if you can make it. Sunday 5/1, we've got an 80's Zumbathon going on in Ormond with Cindee West. $20 donation to LLS for 2 hours of zumba and chances to win great raffle prizes. And don't forget to make Mom a bracelet for her special day! Taking orders now ~ only $15 each ~ that's a bargain :) Thanks to everyone who has donated, and to those who have helped with my events and been my moral support throughout this journey. I look forward to being able to honor Brianna & Haley and *their* journeys when I participate in the San Diego half marathon in June! Go TEAM!!

Training update

Training is going well - we're at the halfway point now! San Diego, here we come :) We did bridge training on Thursday, intervals at Reed Canal on Tuesday and I did 5 miles on the beach Saturday morning. We've got a month-long fundraiser going on at UNO Chicago Grill, ALL LOCATIONS, so please visit an UNO soon! They will donate 15-20% of your check to my fundraising efforts. Zumba is coming May 1st! That should be fun :) And I'm still making bracelets...make a $15 donation and get yours today! Thanks for supporting me and keep checking back to see how I'm doing with training!

~ Bracelets for Hope ~

Donate $15 and get a bracelet! Order yours today...get your favorite sports team colors, awareness bracelets - just let me know what you want! They make great Mother's Day gifts :) Thank you for your continued support. You're making a difference in the lives of cancer patients! My email address is: mamalou06@yahoo.com.

Week 9:

CHAIRity was a huge success...thanks to help from my friend Teri, daughter Haley, teammate Theresa, not to mention the chair artists and many more of my TNT teammates who came out to support this event and our common cause. I've been training on my own this week, but met the team on Thursday to do some bridge training. The support from the team is really helping me through this journey. Next fundraiser coming up: Zumbathon at WOW Workouts with Cindee West, May 1st at 1:00 p.m. Many nice raffle items :) More details to come...stay tuned!

Week 7:

Putting the finishing touches on CHAIRity. So far, it sounds like we're going to have some great artwork available for silent auction! Today, Brianna & Haley are participating in the Runway to Hope fashion show. What good friends they've become :) On Saturday, the Team helped Daytona Track Club with the Sandpiper 5k; and on Thursday, we'll work on the bridges to help us prepare for the hills on the course in San Diego. All donations towards my goal are happily accepted...no donation is too small!! Thank you :)

Week 6:

We had a nutrition clinic this week - VERY informative! Learned all the things that I did wrong nutrtionally when I did the Disney half! On Saturday, we trained for 2 hours at Riverside Park - both bridges! and after being sick for two weeks, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hang. But proud of myself because I did it! And then walked around the Farmers Market for awhile too. Gotta say my legs were tired on Saturday night! It's all worth it though, especially when I can post a photo like the one below. SO HAPPY for the DaRosa family! They've been through hell with this disease. Let's put an end to it!! Please donate and help me reach my goal! Thank you :)

March 3 - a very special day :)) Brianna's last chemo!

FUNDRAISER!

Join us at Clancy's Cantina on March 26th for the CHAIRity Silent Auction!

Week 3:

This week was very productive as far as getting a couple of fundraisers under way. I've secured a venue for the CHAIRity Silent Auction and that will hopefully be a very lucrative event! Also have a Zumbathon in the works and met a teammate on Saturday who is willing to donate her business location for that. Had a good walk over the North/South Causeways on Saturday with the team and met some great new friends :) Of course, I also have my good friends, Teri & Jodi, who are supporting me and making sure I reach my goal. Many, many thanks to them...and to those who have donated!

Week 1:

Training went well this week. I rode my bike for cross-training day - haven't done that in oh...35 years?!?! On Saturday, we did a quick 45 minutes of running/walking as a team, and then learned some stretching techniques. Those are really helpful! Looking forward to week 2! Group training on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday :) The other days, I'm on my own...

I've been involved with the Leukemia Society since 2002, but this will be my first Team in Training event. I'm walking in the San Diego Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in honor of Brianna & Haley, two young friends who have been battling leukemia for far too long. Every one of us has had experience with cancer in our lives - whether a friend, loved one, co-worker... The majority of us know at least one person taken away by this disease. Whether it's a blood cancer or another type of cancer that's impacted your life, please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. It's time to find a cure NOW.

I hope you'll visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress as I begin training with my Team. Thanks for your support! GO TEAM!!