In keeping with the personal significance of Taco Tuesday, and the memory of my friend Patty, this past Tuesday, I started my Taco Tuesday Fundraising Challenge. If I make my Team in Training fundraising minimum by April 18th, I PROMISE that I will get a smaller version of this tattoo emblazoned on my leg by year-end to honor those I race in honor/memory of.

All donations welcome, no amount is too small! Every dollar helps save a life!

For 2012, my goal is to complete yet another marathon for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This time, if all goes according to plan, it will be the New Jersey Marathon at the Shore.

Why do I do this?

I do this because the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is projected to fall short of their national budget this year. That means that for some, the LLS co-pay fund that once helped cover the costs of medications and doctor visits is now depleted. That also means that research funding is being scaled back, slowing advancements in treatments and towards a cure.

I do this in memory of family members and friends I have lost to various forms of cancer over the years. People like my father, who died in October 1999 after a 5 month battle with inoperable kidney cancer. People like my friends, the late actor Cliff Gorman, who died from leukemia back in 2002, my friend "Betty Boop" who died of lung cancer, and my friend Patty Higgins, who was one of my biggest cheerleaders during my past marathon efforts as she fought her own battle with cancer.

I do this in honor of my friends who have survived their battles with cancer, like my honored team mates Andrew Matteson who trained for his first marathon this past summer while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. People like my honored team mate Jane Sanders, who is a constant source of inspiration, and who was my Hamptons Half Marathon room mate a few months ago. People like Caroline Watters, who was diagnosed when she was almost 2 years old, and her sister Lisette Watters, who donated her bone marrow at the age of 4 years old to save her sister's life. Caroline is now 10 years cancer-free. Both Caroline and Lisette speak regularly about their experiences, and are a constant source of inspiration and laughter during our training seasons.

Your donation can make such a huge difference. It funds research, assists patients with small reimbursements for treatment expenses, and most important- it brings hope to so many. Please donate what you can. I know the economy is tough on us all, but please think as big and dig as deep as you're able. Every dollar counts.

If you're not able to donate, there are loads of other ways you can help me make this happen. I've listed them below, and they're equally important and greatly appreciated.

* If you have a facebook page, please share the following link on your profile every week or so: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nj12/crawlcarolcrawl and encourage your friends to donate and share it as well.

* If you have a blog or website, if you could post a link to my Team in Training website with a small blurb like the one below, it will help tremendously:

* "Run, Carol, RUN!!!" - Please support Carol as she trains to run/walk in her third marathon to raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nj12/crawlcarolcrawl

* If you know of anyone who would be interested buying an arm or a leg, and having their company name prominently displayed in multi-colored Sharpie ink, please have them contact me at crawlcarolcrawl@gmail.com

* If you know of any local media that might be interested in including a short story about this, please let me know and I will e-mail them.

Thanks for taking the time to read and for anything you can do to help me "Run, Carol, RUN!!!" Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

Now through Saturday, December 17th.

Thanks to a generous offer, a portion of sales from this online Scentsy party will be donated to Team in Training on my behalf. Scentsy products make your world smell real good, and include wickless alternatives to scented candles, room sprays and more! Order between now and December 17th, and not only will your order arrive in time for Christmas, but a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Team in Training on my behalf.

https://carlamccrory.scentsy.us/Buy?partyId=64642877

Yes, the rumor is true.

We're getting the band (aka Team in Training NYC Team Queens) back together, and I've signed up for another gig. This time, I'll be in rehearsals/training for the New Jersey Marathon in the spring

Teams are made up of individuals. Without them, there is no team. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the experience of training with the phenomenal individuals on the NYC Queens Team. We have some incredible honored team mates, one of whom trained for the Nike Women's Marathon while going through chemo and radiation, a childhood cancer survivor and her bone marrow donating older sister, and another survivor who is just awesome and amazing. They are why I do this.

If you would like to help blood cancer research and patient support programs, you can do so by making a donation to my fundraising campaign.

Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Nearly 958,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.