I’ve done it again, I signed up with Team in Training to run the Women’s Nike Marathon in October and pledged to raise over $6000 to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This will be my eighth season participating with TNT. If you know me well you know how much this organization, the people and the mission have impacted my life. Not only have I been able to complete 2 marathons and 8 half marathons, but I have also raised over $20,000 for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with the help of family and friends such as yourself.

This season my sister will be running alongside me (well, if she waits for me) running 26.2 miles and standing beside me raising funds as we kick cancer’s butt!

I joined TNT five years ago in honor of a complete stranger, Lisa Ward, a Hodgkin’s survivor. When I joined, I had no connection to blood cancers; this stranger’s disease was a good enough reason for me to run and raise funds. As the years went by, I met more and more people who have been affected by cancer and I have added them to my list of people that I run in honor of: Tom Jones, Olivia Ibarra, Lisa Ward, Shelly West, Lindsay Essery, Mike Henry, Phil Strauh Jr, Dr. Rey Vista. It saddens me that not only does this list continue to grow, but that some have now been placed in my list of people who I run in memory of: Tim Palmquist, Hector Perez, Dr. John Kyper & MaryAnn.

In April 2011, I ran the Zooma Half Marathon for the most important man in my life, my dad. He was diagnosed with cancer in March and just a couple weeks ago completed his chemotherapy and radiation treatments. We are still awaiting the outcome of the results and the surgery to come. After being involved with the Society for so many years, never would I have imagined that cancer would hit this close to home. I now run with a new and increased passion for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and its goal of finding a cure; for it is not only blood cancers that we are trying to cure, but Cancer alone. I will run for my dad, for my honored heroes and all those who have been affected by cancer. One day I know there will be a cure and not one more child, sister, mother, father, sister or brother will be affected by cancer. Until that day, the fight to find a cure continues. Will you help me make this dream a reality?

I truly hope you will donate today, either in honor of someone fighting cancer, in memory of someone who has been lost to cancer, or in appreciation of yourself or others you love not affected by cancer. Until there is a cure, there is no guarantee that our lives will go untouched by cancer. No donation is too small. Please donate today by clicking on the 'donate now' button on the side bar. Thank you in advance for helping me save lives one mile at a time!

For the Cure,

Grace Montalvo

gracemontalvo13@yahoo.com

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." ~Helen Keller