BALD BUDDIES!

If a cancer patient can go through treatments and have to face being bald in order to be healthy... why can't we in thier honor? What is there to be afraid of?

Help me raise $10,000 to find a cure for cancer and I vow to shave my head in honor of the struggle that cancer patients live through day after day! It ain't gonna be pretty, just a warning, but if they can go through chemo, I can vow to shave my head! Join me and the Omaha Marathon Race Director, Susie Smisek as we each shave our head after we raise $10,000 for cancer research!

Julie's story...

Five years ago, my best friend was diagnosed with CANCER. I think the news hurt twice as bad as it should have because he was also my loving husband and the father of my children. Why him? Why us? How can this be?

As terrible as I felt, I couldn’t even imagine how he must have felt. Yet day in and day out, he was always positive. He only allowed himself to cry once, albeit it was a good cry, but it was only once. He poured himself night and day into research. My husband Shane dug and dug until he could find nothing more about the disease; possible causes, possible links, things he could do to get himself healthy and his biggest scare: would his boys’ chances of a diagnosis be increased because he had been diagnosed.

After his surgery and too many tests to count, those terrible feelings never quite went away. What was left to do? Drown ourselves in self-pity, pour over our misfortunes and smother our friends and family with stories of our woes? No, thanks!

For the last five years my husband and I have wrapped our lives around a program that we honestly couldn’t imagine ourselves not being a part of: and that outlet is Team In Training (TNT). Through TNT, we commit ourselves to training for an endurance event of our choice by volunteering for a 20 week training regimen and fundraising for much needed research dollars. Then, in return, we are coached, mentored and supported through our entire athletic regimen. We have continued to train, year after year, for various endurance events in the hopes, however far off they may be, that someday a cure for cancer can and will be found.

There is something truly invigorating about completing something that no one believes you can. I have grown to love my time with “the TEAM” and plan to continue training and continue making strides in that search for the cure. I hope you can help me!

“I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth for all that is real. I run for your mother, your sister, your daughter, your wife, I run for you and me my friend, I run for life!”

Susie's story... In Honor of Mike Buckley and In Memory of Mindy Papenfuss.

My story starts in 1990 when “Team In Training” was just getting it’s start in Omaha.

I had only run about 3 marathons when a group of us crazy runners decided that we wanted to run a race that would benefit others. One of the runners was a nurse who had been working with cancer patients and was inspired by the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Well, it didn’t take long before 5 of us were warmed by the stories of various families who were dealing with the cancer world thus decided without a second thought, to participate in the New York Marathon as a Team In Training Athlete.

I was paired with a young lady, a junior in high school who had been diagnosed with leukemia two years prior. She was bright, vibrant, athletic and a joy to be with. My first meeting with Mindy was at a soccer game where she scored the winning goal! I found that knowing the person who I was running for, made training and the event much more meaningful than just another race for my personal goals. I proudly wore Mindy’s name on my shirt during the marathon and in those months of training prior to the race. As you might expect, we became quite close and long thereafter until her passing during her sophomore year in college.

As race director for the Omaha Marathon, partnering with Leukemia/Lymphoma Society is an honor. Team In Training has been a super organization to work with, not to mention, working with Julie Petersen and staff. So when Julie and I starting discussing the possibility of shaving our heads for the benefit of others, it was a no brainer to enthusiastically commit.

LLS has always touched my heart and impacted my life along with the staff who put so much work and passion to what they do to improve the lives of others.

I am excited about raising money with Julie to help the lives of those who did not ask for cancer, but hopefully in some small way will enhance their world.

Thank you for supporting the “Bald Buddies” with your donation so we can reach our $10,000 goal.