RUNNING FOR ANNA

111 Miles, 5 Events, 1 Cause -- 71.7 Miles Done! 39.3 to Go!!! (3 done, 2 more left)

THERE IS STILL TIME TO MAKE A DONATION FOR MY FALL SEASON. THIS SUNDAY, OCT. 19, IN SAN FRANCISCO, 20,000 PEOPLE AND ME WILL BE RUNNING THE NIKE WOMEN'S FULL & HALF MARATHONS IN SUPPORT OF THE LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA SOCIETY TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE ANNA! THEN IN 16 DAYS THE NYC MARATHON! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERNCE! YOU MAKE A DONATION...I WILL DO ALL THE CRAZY RUNNING.

I’ve been training for marathons, half-marathons and triathlons with Team in Training for over a year. In my time, I have participated in these endurance events for my cousin Britt-Marie and Uncle Dennis who are both leukemia and lymphoma survivors. I have run for them and others who are survivors and some who lost their battle.

Never did I think I would be (or want to be) running for someone new. Someone I love dearly. My very good friend Anna Gaffney. I started with TNT because of 2 instances of blood cancers in my family. I found out less than a month ago that a very good friend of mine of 10 years was just diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). She is 32 years old, happily married and the mother of a gorgeous 2 year old boy. When you think of spunk and energy and a woman with the best Latina flair - it's her. She's now in a hospital bed, going through a tough chemo regimen, had a port inserted into her chest for chemo, and though she is doing well with treatment the chemo is very rough on her. She had to spend her birthday in the hospital for this. It sucks. It sucks a lot, and my heart leapt into my throat when I first heard the news. When someone you love has cancer you feel helpless.

The only solace I have is that I KNOW I am making a difference by being a member of TNT and fundraising. Some of the money that I have raised helps her treatment and provides patient services and outreach to her family. This is what we do with Team in Training. This is how we matter. And every time I hear of someone who is diagnosed with cancer, it infuriates me. Especially when it hits very close to home.

So PLEASE DONATE TODAY to help those fighting blood cancers like my Honored Teammate Anna Gaffney. She is my inspiration. Please help me in my mission by DONATING RIGHT NOW. Your donation is 100% tax deductable. Your donation will be appreciated by Cancer Survivors and their families; it will be appreciated by those who lost their loved ones so that others won’t have to meet the same fate.

**YOUR DONATION WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE**

I am taking on 5 events this year for the cause: 111 Miles, 5 Events, 1 Cause – 71.7 Miles Done! 39.3 to Go!!! (3 done, 2 more left) Some people think I’m pretty nuts for taking all this on in one year. I might be inclined to agree with them on some level. However, I feel it is crazy for me to stand by the sidelines and do nothing. The helplessness people feel when their loved ones face cancer is so emotionally overwhelming. I know this from first-hand experience. What I do, and what you can do through your donation, is to help ease this pain through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Patient Services, Counseling, Education, Outreach Programs and Research.

CONTINUE READING ABOUT WHAT YOUR DONATION WILL DO and THE EVENTS I AM PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR:

WHAT YOUR DONATION WILL DO!

• A donation of $25.00 provides patients and their loved ones with FREE booklets that contain up-to-date information on their disease and help them make informed decisions about their treatment options.
• A donation of $50.00 makes possible a Family Support Group with a trained facilitator where comfort can be found and experiences can be shared among patients and family members.
• A donation of $100.00 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures.
• A donation of $1000.00 makes possible one-on-one conversations with health care specialists who provide patients with information about their disease, treatment options, and helps prepare them with questions for their health care team.

My 2008 Events – All 5 of Them:

TO DO:

October 18, 2008 – NIKE WOMEN’S HALF-MARATHON: In HONOR of my friend ANNA GAFFNEY.

November 2, 2008 - NEW YORK CITY MARATHON: I will run In Memory of my father Patrick Daniel Reddy who lost his battle to cancer in 2002. AND IN HONOR OF ANNA GAFFNEY

DONE!

May 4, 2008 - NEW JERSEY MARATHON: ***MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!*** 26.2 Miles! I ran In Honor of Jerri McDonnell. She is my brother's godmother, and a very close family friend. She lost her cancer battle on September 30, 2008.

July 20, 2008 – NAUTICA NYC TRIATHLON: ***MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!*** I swam, biked and ran in Memory of my Uncle Neil Edward Reddy.

July 27, 2008 – NIKE NYC HALF-MARATHON: ***MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!*** I ran In Honor of my great friend Gretchen Hagelow, a 2-time survivor of Leukemia and who runs with me!

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“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.” – John F. Kennedy