Welcome To Our Team's Fundraising Page
Please join us in supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) by making a donation to our fundraising campaign. Thanks to your support, our efforts, will help fund the therapies and treatments and help save lives today.
Tracy McKeel
As many of you know, I am a marathon runner. Registering and running races is a great way to donate mone to many amazing charities. However, this time I am helping to raise funds directly for The Leukemia & Lymphomia Society with two other members by spinning — spinning for 6 HOURS! Boy, what a challenge!
We are insane ... well, no, we do it for all of our family members and friends that can't. My grandmother passed away in 1999 after a long battle with leukemia. Shortly after, my cousin developed breast cancer, won that battle, and was then diagnosed with liver cancer. She passed away in 2005. Last year, my aunt recently lost her battle with kidney cancer. In 2011, my very dear friend Joanne died of lung cancer within three weeks of diagnosis. Currently, my eldest sister has stage 4 lymphoma cancer and I am dealing with the possibility of thyroid cancer. the signs are there; the biopsy is scheduled and I must keep pushing on. I will not allow cancer to stop this train!
This is why I run, spin, etc. ... in memory of my family and friends that cannot do the things I can do. I miss them every day and I want to keep the funds coming in for development of new medications and technology so these horrible diseases can be slowed, stopped and destroyed!
The 6-hours I will spin is on February 21 and is dedicated to my grandmother, aunt, cousin, sister and my friend!
Francine Garrone
If there is anything I miss about my father, it is his gentle bear hugs and the way his cologne would permiate through the entire house. His hugs of affection told me everything would be okay; he never had to speak a word.
In 2008, my father lost his battle to esophageal cancer. That day was the worst day! A man, so big and strong became so weak and helpless as the cancer that started in the lymphnode in his neck took over his brain, lungs, liver, kidneys and esophagus eventually killing him in 12 weeks. I wasn't supposed to be 27 when I buried my father. I was supposed to be in my 60s and he was to be old, have watched his grandchildren graduate high school and get married. But, God had another plan.
I'm a runner at heart. I started running with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society shortly after his death. The need to stay healthy soon took over and I became addicted to running half marathons — with the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis in 2009. Over the past six years I have run half marathons in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Connecticut, Kentucky, Kansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, and a full marathon in California. This year I will add Indiana to my list, and I hope to mark Missouri off the list, too.
So why do I want to sit on a stationary bike and spin for 6 hours? Because, I'm crazy! Okay, okay ... just half. But still, why not? If I can do something that I love to help raise funds for research that could possibly find a cure for leukemia and/or lymphomia, sign me up! I also do it in hopes that my father is sitting up there, amongst the other guardian angels, smiling down at me ... proud as can be.
Come February 21, I will join my teammates as we cycle for those who cannot, those who would do anything to live a normal life or not have to worry during cold and flu season. We will come together for those who have lost their battles to cancer and stand up to it and say NO MORE!
If only I could have just one more hug ... I'd never let go!
Colleen Sellers