Dear Friends and Family,

I've been a huge fan of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since my brother Chip was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2007. In our family, not only do we believe in the power of LLS, we have seen it in action. Chip was treated with the drug Rituxan, which was proven effective in the fight against CLL by researchers funded by LLS, and overcame the odds of what seemed at first a dire diagnosis. This coming October, he will have been in remisison for 10 years!

A lot has changed since I first started fundraising for LLS in 2007, running the Atlanta Half Marathon for Team in Training shortly after we learned that Chip had ben diagnosed with Stage 4 CLL and that my brother Wade had died unexpectedly in his sleep - all within a span of 24 hours. Now I have a 2-year-old son named Wade and twin boys who are 7 months old, and I live in Charlotte. When a friend here recently recommended I join Moms in Training, I wondered why I hadn't thought of it first. It's an organization for moms looking for a way to get back in shape and to fight cancer. I needed a little of both.

While I trained for the Mother's Day 5K and have worked out at weekly "boot camps" at Freedom Park on Saturday mornings, I'm reminded of how grateful I am for the work of LLS and how motivated I am to continue to support such a worthy organization. When and if the day comes that Chip's cancer returns, we will be ready to continue the fight on his behalf as well as for so many others affected by blood cancer.

Please consider making a donation for this cause. It means the world to me!