Hank's Homies

Jessica Kieffer, Me, Harry (owner of Palio's Pizza), Jennifer Kieffer, Ana Jordan, & Jessica Devenny

Ashley is Running a Marathon!

yes, you saw that right...26.2 miles!!

UPDATE (May 6): i can't believe i've reached my fundraising goal!! of course it wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the generous support of family, friends, and deep pocket poker players. it warms my heart that so many people stepped up to help me (and our team) raise $2,900 (we raised over $14,500 as a group!) for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. now all i have to do is keep up with the training. my body is tired, my mind is exhausted, and my days are consumed with running, but it will all be worth it in about 4 weeks when i cross that finish line...

UPDATE (April 27): our Poker Tournament was a HUGE success! thanks to all the wonderful supportive poker fans that came out and to the dealers who stayed up with us past 3am! not only was last saturday a great day for poker, but we also ran 20 miles that day!! yes, you saw that correctly....20 miles! i'm not going to be modest, it was a beating, but it was definitely worth the pain. now we only have 5 weeks left until the big day...

UPDATE (April 7): it is with a heavy heart that i have to report that our Honored Hero, Hank, has been in the hospital with more complications. please please keep him and his family in your prayers. on another note...our group is having another excellent fundraising oppurtunity that benefits everyone. from now until May 1, for every $10 donated you will be entered into a drawing for a mini stay-cation (donate $50 and you get 5 entries)! how does 2 nights at a trendy hotel, dinner at a fabulous steak place, and a movie night sound? it can all be yours....

UPDATE (March 31): today was a big day! i just cut off 11 inches of hair for Locks of Love. i'm so excited that i could be a part of something so much bigger than my self. along with my training and fundraising, this was like icing on the cake. i wish it could make up for the upsetting news we received about our honored hero, Hank. Hank is no longer in remission from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. He is currently at MD Anderson in Houston, and began his first in a series of chemo treatments on Saturday. i hope that my continued efforts will help him fight this. please keep him and his family in your thoughts.

UPDATE (March 27): today was a rough day for running. if it weren't for the fact that i was thinking of all those who couldn't run the 8 miles with me, i would have been sitting on the curb crying. i get up at 5:30am on Saturday mornings to meet with my TnT team, and today was brutally windy and slightly chilly. and for some reason, 8 miles has always been my nemesis...kicks my butt every time! i pushed through it thanks to the support of my team, my fabulous support group, and sheer stubborness. next week we'll be up to 10 miles, but i know i can do this. thanks for checking up on me and keep sending those good vibes!

UPDATE (March 8):we are now moving into our 6th week of training and it's going surprisingly well. we ran 6 miles last weekend and it felt good! my fundraising efforts are coming along as well, not exactly as easy as i was hoping, but who said this was going to be easy?! i'm still on for donating the giant mop of hair i have, but it would be nice to raise at least $400 more before i do. c'mon! haircut day is set for March 31st...let's do this!!

it seems like such a long time ago that i did this (and i suppose 3 years is a long time), but the running bug hit me again. this time around the bug bit me really hard because i've signed on to run a full blown marathon this time...that's right 26.2 miles! i can't believe that i'm doing this, but my months of training, sweat, and tears is nothing compared to what those battling blood cancers go through. so, i'm more than happy to train 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!

i think i asked last time....which would be easier for you...donate $25 or put on your running shoes and run with me in San Diego? it's your choice, but please 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. And you can always check out my smarty pants blog...The5McCools

Thanks for your

support!

this is pretty cool...just another way to help me out and even get something for yourself at the same time (or if you felt like buying me a little something)!

TnT Shopping and Fundraising Page

hugs to you

ash