Please join me in my fight to end cancer

I work for the month of June in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and will be riding my mountain bike home from work starting June 30th 2010 - 830 miles from the Deadhorse Airport to my home in Palmer, Alaska to fight cancer. I am doing this ride as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training. Assuming I survive this challenge and am not eaten by a bear or run over by a truck on the 400 mile long gravel Dalton Highway, I will also be running in the Anchorage Big Wild Life Marathon in August 2010.

I made it all the way from Prudhoe Bay to Palmer,

arriving in Palmer on July 19th at 8:20 PM

Follow my training Blog, Facebook, Twitter, My Space.

I am completing these events in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. They are the real heroes on our team and face a far more difficult challenge. All of us at Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives.

We need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Why do I run & ride?

There are so many worthy causes but I chose this one for several reasons. I spent over 20 years working as a paramedic seeing first hand the sorrows caused by these diseases. Cancer has taken the lives of several of my close family members, including my father, aunt, cousin, and sister-in-law. Cancer in its many forms leaves its mark on most families. My brother, Guy della Cioppa, who was doing important cancer research was killed in a tragic car accident in March 2006. I feel that in this small way, maybe I can help to further the cause that was his passion in life. Only through research by dedicated people like him, with financial help from people like you, can we look forward to a world that will one day be cancer free.

I run & ride in honor of

*March 15 - 25 I am running 10 miles a day for my honorees!*

Lowell Simpson, my friend who lost his battle to lymphoma.

* 3/15/2010 I ran 10 miles for Lowell

Patricia Hunter, my friend who lost her battle to lymphoma.

* 3/16/2010 I ran 10 miles for Patricia

Laura Sizemore, my sister-in-law who lost her battle to lymphoma.

* 3/17/2010 I ran 10 miles for Laura

Jesus Daniel Melenez, who lost his battle to Leukemia & Lymphoma.

* 3/18/2010 I ran 10 miles for Jesus

William Gill, honored teammate, battling leukemia.

* 3/19/2010 I ran 10 miles for Bill

* Bill lost his battle to leukemia, May 25, 2010

Lujean Fetchenhier, honored teammate, battling leukemia.

* 3/20/2010 I ran 10 miles for Lu

Stephanie Hill, battling lymphoma.

* 3/21/2010 I ran 10 miles for Stephanie

Michael Tambornino, battling lymphoma.

* 3/22/2010 I ran 10 miles for Michael

* Michael lost his battle to lymphoma, April 15, 2010

Loren Marshall, taken by cancer.

* 3/23/2010 I ran 10 miles for Loren

Marius Natale della Cioppa, my dad taken by cancer.

* 3/24/2010 I ran 10 miles for Daddy

Tom Schlarb, a friend taken by Hodgkin's lymphoma

* 9/2/2010 I ran 10 miles for Tom

Please make a donation to support me in this mission.

If you prefer to donate by check or money order, please make it payable to LLS and mail it to me at the following address so it will be credited to my fundraising campaign.

Caren della Cioppa, PO Box 1881, Palmer, Alaska 99645

Photos for cancer

I also have my nature & travel photos for sale on my website, Habataku. 100% of the price of the photos will go directly to my Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team In Training fund.

Thanks for your support!