Well, summer is half over (no really, it is)... and how wonderful that I am now over halfway to my fundraising goal! To this date, thanks to YOUR contributions I've raised a whopping $1,767!

Today I'd like to share a message with you, that I've received as part of the weekly staff update. It's a note from a woman, who is battling leukemia. She reminded me why it is I am doing this... and why I need your help to reach my goal!

When you are at your Saturday morning training, batting a big miler and wanting to quit with every step, remember one thing… When someone is battling a blood cancer, they don’t have the option to quit. They have to give it their all- their blood, sweat and tears- to reach the finish line. Remission. We have that ability as well- to give our blood, sweat and tears – to help reach our finish line, our goal…A cure. Thank you for all that you are doing to help find a cure for blood cancers. One of the mentors & honored heroes from the walk team, Karin O’Brien, would like to pass her thank you on as well.

“ As a run/walk team, you have raised $103,647 toward finding a cure for blood cancers! I want to express my gratitude for your incredible efforts. As a recipient of those hard earned dollars, I KNOW how hard you’ve worked to raise it. This money gets the scientists that work with grants from LLS, that much closer to finding a cure for the type of Leukemia I have (or even a permanent source of controlling it, i.e. Gleevec). If all of your hard work buys me one more day, one more month, one more year with my husband and children, I will be eternally grateful! So, from the bottom of my heart,

Thank You TNT Angels…..for my LIFE! Now, Go Kick some asphalt!”

~Karin

Racing to Save Lives

Welcome to my Team In Training home page.

I'm training to participate in the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco on October 16, 2011, 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.

But it's more personal than that for me. My new friend Alex (click his name to read Alex's blog) is 6 years old. Three years ago, at the age of 3, Alex was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. In November of 2010, Alex took his last dose of chemotherapy. His family was looking forward to a normal life. But on April 29 of this year, Alex was diagnosed with B-Cell Leukemia. His journey is far from over as he's fighting for his life.

I am completing this event in honor of all Alex, and of all 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 - a cure!

This is my very first marathon! I am exhilarated and scared, but mostly I am deeply moved by Alex's life and the battle he's fighting. And he will be the one I'm going to be thinking of, as I cross that finish line in San Francisco.

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. Thanks for your support!