Lets do this.

Here is a copy of the letter that is going out to all of our mutual friends in Prosper. I didn't send this out to friends and family this time so I wanted to put a copy on my blog so that you could read it. Thank you so much for all who have supported me/us. It is amazing the support we get from everyone!

Training has been going well and so far we are up to 6 miles in our mileage. This next month will bring on some serious miles and we will be in the teens by the end of the month. Exciting!! I am feeling great, albeit tired, but knowing I am doing something so wonderful makes it all worth it.

So, here's the letter in case you are interested! :)


Charity –
1: benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity
2: generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering; also: aid given to those in need.

Dear Friends,

On June 6, 2010 at approximately 6:30 am in San Diego, California, we will be taking the first steps in a venture that some of us never thought possible; running a marathon. Yes, that is 26.2 miles of pavement each; a collective One Hundred and Thirty-One miles in the California sun. We will be racing in the Rock and Roll Marathon as a part of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program. Why, you ask? Well, because we can.

Team in Training is an organization that provides mentors and coaches to help everyday people like ourselves become a member of the exclusive club of marathon runners. They say that only 1% of the population will complete a marathon in their lifetime, and we are all about to be a part of that statistic (some of us already are!). In return, we each raise a minimum of $2,900 that goes toward helping cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease and Myeloma; the dreaded blood cancers that take the lives of our friends, family and children every single day. In total, we will raise $14,500 between the 5 of us, and we won’t stop until that number has been met and exceeded. Yes, we could pay to go to San Diego on our own and run the marathon. Better yet, we could choose a local race which didn't cost anything and didn't require fundraising, because fundraising in this economy? Not easy and not fun. But now is when they need it the most. The patients are suffering through this economy also and health care costs are staying the same, if not rising! Families need our help more than ever.

Many people have asked us why we want to do this and the answer is simple; to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves and to rest well at night knowing we have helped seek a cure in any way we can. Did you know that every ten minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer? This statistic represents nearly 146 people each day, or more than six people every hour. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20. These are awful statistics! Cancer is such a terrible disease and every step taken towards a cure is one step closer to eliminating ALL cancers.

Although our Team has an ‘Honored Hero’ (a patient or survivor whom our Team has chosen to represent) the five of us have chosen to dedicate our race and our training to Hank Kieffer. Many of you know Hank; he is the father of Kevin and Matt Kieffer, and the Father-in-Law of Jennifer and Jessica. He is a Leukemia survivor and if not for the efforts of many past Team in Training participants like ourselves, Hank may not be with us today. We will proudly wear Hank’s name on our jersey and think of all the harrowing treatments Hank had to endure whenever the running gets tough; which it most certainly will! If he could deal with chemotherapy and countless other needles and treatments; we can do this. Yes, we can.

Where do you fit in?
We can’t do this on our own. We CAN train every Saturday morning at 6:30 am for the next 5 months. We CAN run in the sleet, snow, wind and rain 4 days a week. We CAN take time away from our precious families to make this goal happen. But we cannot meet these numbers on our own. Please consider making a donation to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. No donation is too small, every penny helps in finding a cure. Checks can be made out to ‘The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’ and your donation helps all 5 of us. Of course, your donation is 100% tax deductible. Some of you might work for an employer who has a matching program. Therefore, whichever amount you choose to give, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will receive double that amount! And as always, your good wishes and positive vibes to sustain us in our training will also be graciously accepted. We truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on our progress.

Sincerely,

Jessica Devenny, Ana Jordan, Jennifer Kieffer, Jessica Kieffer and Ashley McCool