my small contribution to fighting cancer...

Last month I signed up with the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation program to dedicate my run with the Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon to saving lives by raising money for cancer research, medical care and support for cancer patients. And specifically to support two close friends battling cancer now--Josh and Lani.

To be completely frank and honest, though I've always loved the aspect of dedicating runs to very deserving non-profits, I've never done it. I've always figured the race entry fee was manageable enough and the fundraising was too much for someone already juggling a family and heavy workload.

And then, the Rock n' Roll Seattle sold out this year. Raising money for cancer was my ticket to run it. It was a perfect opportunity, actually, because unfortunately cancer is pretty much the reason why it was so important for me to run it this year. It was one of those coincidences that couldn't be more obvious if it had smacked me in the face.

Last year for the Rock n' Roll Seattle inaugural race, the Shalom Bayit Running Club was formed. Comprised of a bunch of moms desperately needing the outlet (hence the name Shalom Bayit, which means Peace in the House in Hebrew) and one dad who pushed us harder than we'd go on our own, we'd meet once a week for our long runs. Lani was one who pushed for t-shirts, thus making our club OFFICIAL and even after she learned she was moving to Nashville, she postponed her move long enough to stay with us to do the run. We were determined to run the Rock n Roll half in Nashville on our birthday this year (We are Birthday Twins down to the same year and state...)

Just a few months after her move to Nashville, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. You can read about her story on her blog, ChemoBabe.

I've written about my friends Josh and Kim on this blog before. Josh is still fighting his fight and posting about it on his blog. But really, without Josh and Kim, I would've never developed a love for running. There were a number of treks up 95th with him, all three of us chugging away on that huge hill. And Kim pulled me through my first 10k, first half marathon and introduced me to the um, pleasures of Gu.

So it just seems natural that I'd be running for these two incredible friends of mine. And while it's a small contribution to the scheme of things, I've already gotten so much support from other friends and community members. And there's still work and kids to juggle and lunches to make and carpools to drive and all the craziness that comes with life, I feel like this run is one thing I can contribute to the cause of fighting cancer--this wretched disease.

Running this race is my way--albeit a small way--of fighting back against a disease that has taken too much. It's small. But it's something...


Please visit my DetermiNation fundraising page and support me with a donation so that together, with the American Cancer Society, we can help save lives and create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.