Dear Friends and Family,
Over the past few months I have been doing a
lot of reading and really educating myself. One of the most important things that I have come across is Goals. People set
New Years resolutions all of the time, but rarely set goals. At the end of December I sat down and wrote a long list of goals
that I wanted to complete throughout the next year and the rest of my life. I even made a visual board consisting of some
of the things that I really want. Did you know if you really focus on something positive, think about it every day, look at
it every day, if you really want it, you'll get it?
Well - one of my goals was to visit all 50 states before I turned 50, another
was to live a very healthy lifestyle, and another was to be able to help out a cause. Of course there were about 20 others,
but these are the few that tie in with what I am focusing on here. One of my pictures I cut out was a picture of Alaska,
another was a picture of me years back, healthy and in shape. A few weeks back I started working out, and a few days later
I received information in the mail about Alaska. About a
week after that I was at a fitness center and there was a woman there handing out information on Team in Training. This was
an event that I had wanted to become a part of since I had Lily which was 3 years ago. As I picked up the brochure I seen
yet another picture of Alaska. Now if you are thinking what
I was, with my consistent pattern, you know what comes next.
I joined the Team in Training... Team in Training is the leading comprehensive
endurance training program for runners, walkers, cyclists and triathletes to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research
and providing education and patient services. Participants raise funds for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma in exchange for
training, support, lodging, and airfare at the event of their choice. Since Team in Training was originated, 305,000
participants have raised over $695 million. And, I want to be a part of this.
Almost every person that I am sending this letter to, has or will be affected
by cancer at some point in their lives, and this is why I am taking a stand. Did you know that Leukemia is the number one
killing disease of children between the ages of 1-14? Lymphoma is the second major cause of cancer deaths in men and women
under 35 in the United States each year?
Ten times as many adults as children are stricken with leukemia and more than half of these cases are in persons over age
60? That every nine minutes an American dies of leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, or myeloma? Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is
the sixth most common cancer in the United States?
More than 785,000 in the United States
are battling blood cancer and there are 109,000 new cases diagnosed each year. These are really horrible statistics and
just a few, to give you a little background on blood cancers.
I myself have been affected by this awful disease. My Grandmother, Gena Schultz
underwent heart surgery for a valve replacement in March of 1999 and it was very successful. Several weeks later she discovered
an unusual spot on her face. She went in and had it looked at and sure enough - cancer. Weeks later they diagnosed her with
Adult Hodgkin's Lymphoma. My grandmother and I had a very close relationship. I had been away at school during the time of
her surgery and diagnosis and came home soon after. I got engaged within the next year and remember my grandmother telling
my grandfather, "I just want to be there to see Rachel get married." Unfortunately that didn't happen. My grandmother lost
her battle October 24, 2001. So in honor of her I will be running 26.2 miles in Anchorage,
Alaska on June 23rd, 2007.
Over the next 5 months I will be training on a daily basis in order to fulfill
my quest. In this case, I need your support. My goal for this event is not only to reach $5,000, but to cross the finish
line, and contribute in finding a cure. This will cover my lodging and airfare and 75% will go to the cause. I have chose
this event, because they tell you at the initial meeting that for every event a certain dollar amount has to be reached for
you to participate. I felt that if I picked the place that the most money needed to be raised, then that much more money is
given to the cause. There are many ways to make a donation. You can send me a check made out to the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society, call me with a credit card, or make a donation online. Anything you are able to give would be a great help and very
much appreciated. All donations are 100% tax deductible.
In Conclusion, after only the first 6 months of 2007 - I will have become
much more healthy, visited another state, and most importantly supported and contributed to a wonderful cause. Not to
mention, ran a marathon. That wasn’t on my list of goals, but what an accomplishment. See how the mind works.
I now truly believe what you think about, dream about, and believe, is what you’ll have.
