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Racing to Save Lives

This year has been a year of "firsts" for me. I graduated from law school (first J.D. in the family); moved to the Pacific Northwest (I'm from the great state of NJ); passed the WA bar exam (on the first try!!); and participated in my first beach volleyball tournament in Seaside, OR (my teammate and I were completely rocked by the competition - who knew that being 5'4" would put me at a huge disadvantage?!). However, as 2008 closes near, I am not quite done yet.

Without a doubt, I am getting ready for the biggest challenge of my life. On March 29, 2009, I will participating in the Lavaman Triathlon in Kona, HI. It is comprised of a .9 mile swim, 25 mile bike, and 6 mile run, and yes all at once! Luckily, I am not doing this on my own. I have joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys Team in Training program. Through this program, I have great coaches, mentors and teammates whose support will help me cross the finish line.

More importantly even than my physical commitment to the program is my commitment to raise funds for the LLS in its effort to battle Leukemia and related cancers. These diseases strike some 107,000 Americans each year and leukemia is the number one cause of death of children under the age of 15. One of the greatest contributions of the LLS is toward research. Significant progress has been made in the treatment of this disease, and researchers are now optimistic that they will find a cure within 6 years!

I am not only participating in this race for the Society, but also in honor of one Lymphoma patient in particular. In April of 2006, my partner and best friend, Eric was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 25. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment and is currently in remission! He recently began his first year of medical school and he wishes to use his experience as a former cancer patient to provide an amazing level of care to his patients as a pediatric oncologist. He is an inspiration to everyone around him and I will run this race for him and for every other young adult diagnosed with a blood cancer this year. I will also run this race for the families and friends who provide immeasurable amounts of support, day in and day out, to their loved ones during the most trying of times.

Research is the key to finding a cure and developing less toxic chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Funding for this research is essential. I have set a personal goal to raise $6,000 toward this effort.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. I realize that some of you may not know me personally but in today's society, we all know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer and that creates an unspoken connection between us all.

Please remember, whatever you can do to contribute matters&it all adds up (plus there is the added bonus of the donation being tax deductible). With over 75% of your donation going directly to research, you truly can make a difference. And donating online couldn't be easier! No need to mail a check or waste a stamp!

I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

xoxo

Ps. If you are unable to contribute monetarily, please think about donating a tangible good of value which I could sell to also help raise funds. Anything could work: current textbooks. books, jewelry, handbags, etc.

Email me at abirkens@yahoo.com for further information.

Do not forget about checking to see if your company has a matching gift program!!

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Awards

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has a long affiliation with Alaska Airlines, and has recently added the Mileage Plan Awards program to their list of services.I am pleased to offer this service to any donor who gives $100 or more!

Mileage will be awarded on a basis of one mile for each dollar donated directly to a TNT participant.

In order for you to receive the mileage, you must supply your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Number at the time of the donation.

If you wish to use your Alaska Airlines Visa or Master Card, you will also receive one mile for every dollar charged!

Personal Scholarship

- Any donor has the opportunity to recognize a friend or loved one on the back of our Chapters race day jersey. Anyone who donates $1000 can get the name of a friend or family member who has been affected by cancer printed on the back of the race day jerseys. This does not have to be a single donor, get a group of four together to donate $250 each and they can put one name on the jersey.

My Racing Blog:

I just started a blog so all of my supporters can see how my training is progressing. I will update it often. Check it out!

http://community.lls.org/blogs/abirkenstamm