Once again we have heard the call and are back in action for another year with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year it's Shani and Geoff's turn to saddle up and ride another 100 miles for a cure. My family has distanced over 450 miles (if you count all the training it's closer to 5,000 miles) by bike and foot and raised somewhere around $20,000 with the mission of finding a cure for blood cancers.

As you are no doubt aware, we have not yet found a cure. They still exist. Leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers. Cancer continue to ravage our loved ones, and cancer doesn't discriminate.

Black, white, or asian.

Infants to the elderly.

Democrats and Republicans.

Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Cancer doesn't care. It threatens us all.

We are not without hope. There is good news.

• In 1960, the five-year survival rate for children with the most common type of leukemia was just 4%.... Today it is85%!
• A newly FDA approved drug, Gleevec, has been shown to normalize blood counts in nearly all patients with chronic myelogenous Leukemia (CML). As a result of the success of Gleevec, in 2007, the relative five-year survival rate for CML patients is now at 74.8%!

Now the bad news.

• There is no known cure.
• Leukemia remains a leading cause of death in children.
• Leukemia and lymphoma are the leading cause of death in young men under the age of 35.
• • Every 5 minutes someone is newly diagnosed with a blood cancer.
• • Every 10 minutes another child or adult is expected to die from a blood cancer.
• • 823,000 Americans are currently living with and battling leukemia, lymphoma, Hodkin's disease, or myeloma...

Where do we go from here? The answer is obvious, we keep fighting. I'm asking you to join me; my sister; the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; our teammates who are running, riding, and triathloning with us through Team In Training; and all the survivors, patients, and lost loved ones who have been touched by these cancers. We are here to work our legs off to raise awareness of the cause, and we are counting on you to join the cause.

You may also be asking yourself where the team name "Red Lantern Cycling" came from. The Red Lantern is the honorary title given to the person who finishes a major bike race like the Tour de France in last place. Why would such an honor be given to the person who finishes last and why did we adopt that as our team name? The Red Lantern signifies the perseverance and dedication it takes to fight a losing battle. The Red Lantern digs deep into their soul to find motivation just to finish. The Red Lantern can't win, but they won't quit. Cancer patients are the perfect representation of the spirit of the Red Lantern. They are fighting a losing battle that seems hopeless, but they won't quit. Cancer patients are in the midst of the hardest ride of their life that seems to have no end, but they won't give up.

Our team is asking you to join the cause and hold the Red Lantern high. Make a secure, 100% tax-deductible donation that will directly benefit the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and patients they serve. Rest assured that you are donating to an organization that has given over $600 million to research blood cancer cures. Funding from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has directly lead to key advances in the battle against cancer, and your donation will continue the long fight to find the cure we so desperately need.

Thank for your time and God bless. GO TEAM!!

-Geoff & Shani