Fighting Blood Cancers

One Dollar and One Mile at a Time...

**Visit my training blog: Warrior Wimp**

On December 21st I will be running the Jacksonville Bank Half Marathon (13.1 miles)...

then...

On January 11, 2009, I'll be running the Walt Disney World Marathon (26.2 miles).

WHY?!?! Because I enjoy rolling out of bed for a leisurely run at 5am? Because I love every muscle in my body from my ear lobes down to my toes being sore? Because the thought of running 526 miles over the next 6 months makes me giddy? (Yes, you read that right five hundred and twenty six miles is what I will run while training for this event!!) Because I’ve gone completely mental? Not entirely - Shockingly, my commitment to run is for none of the reasons above. I am embarking on this remarkable journey because it gives me the opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone with cancer. As a member of Team in Training I am running to raise awareness and to raise funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

I have said YES to training, working hard, and running this marathon in honor of those 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 – finding a cure!

Now I need you to say YES. This is a chance for you to participate in this program, too, without having to get up at 5am or run 26.2 miles. All you have to do is give money to help fund cancer research.

Please join me in raising money for this wonderful and worthy cause. I ask you to contribute whatever you can. No amount is too small or too large. I have a website set up to collect donations via the web, or you can mail me a check payable directly to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Either way it is tax deductible. Ice packs, ibuprofen, and gifts are also accepted My motivation is simple – every dollar gets us closer to a cure.

How much do I need? Well, I've committed to raising $2500 by December! So here are some suggested donations:

• $483 - The cost to fill a tank of gas these days (this could perhaps be slightly exaggerated)
• $239 - A dollar for every mile I will run during Saturday group runs (this doesn’t even include the miles I will log the rest of the week!)
• $52.40 - Two dollars for every mile of the marathon
• $33- My age at the time of the marathon
• $5.99 - Extra value meal (give up one fast food lunch and donate that to my training instead!)
• $2.37 - Change in your car's ash tray

Check to see if your company has a matching program to double the impact of your donation! MatchingGifts.com

For more info on the Team in Training program, or to huff and puff along with me in spirit, check out my blog Warrior Wimp for updates on my fundraising and training progress...

Also, please please please pass the link to this site along to ALL of your friends.

Thanks for your support!

***

A few statistics about blood cancers...

• An estimated 712,145 Americans are currently living with blood cancers.
• Every five minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer – more than 110,000 new cases are expected this year.
• Every 10 minutes, someone dies from blood cancers – an estimated 55,100 deaths in 2004
• Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20.