Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Halfway!

This is a July 28 post from my fundraising page that I'm just now getting around to cross-posting on Blogger.

I've just reached half of my fundraising goal for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thanks largely to Mom's and Brother's help with volunteering at local races in exchange for fundraising payments! I've also raised over $100 this summer selling jewelry that my aunt made! 
 
Mom and I volunteered from 5 a.m. for the Disco Triathlon in June, feeding athletes loaded pancakes and fruit after they swam a mile, biked 40 miles, and ran another 9 miles! I don't know about you, but I can just barely swim 500 yards and bike about 5 miles total and never on the same day. It was an amazing experience to see and cheer so many athletes of every shape, size, and sex and deeply inspiring toward my own running goals.
 
Another volunteer we met there told me about an event called Dude, Just Tri! consisting of a 200-yard swim, 10-mile bike ride, and a 5k (3-mile) run, which I'm now contemplating training for next summer.
 
Earlier in July, Mom, Brother, and I volunteered from 4 a.m. at the Too Hot to Handle 5k & 15k race in Dallas. Brother directed participants to the parking lot for 5 hours straight and handled with ease the few folks angry about a full lot and having to park farther away. Mom helped athletes check in and get their t-shirts and set up prizes for the top finishers, and I helped police direct traffic and later handed out water to finishers.


We saw our first triple-digit temps of the year that day, and the racers struggled mightily through their 3- and 9-mile courses, even spending their pained breaths to thank us for volunteering. Over 100 volunteers came out that day, including two of my coworkers and one's partner, to take care of participants and make sure everything ran smoothly.
 
Altogether, we earned $300 for the LLS, and I'm a mere $950 from my final fundraising goal, due October 6 to secure my registration for the Honored Hero Half Marathon in Fort Worth on October 19. Summer training is really tough, but I'm keeping at it and am up to running 8 miles so far out of the 13.1 half marathon distance. The Honored Hero Run recognizes local survivors of blood cancers and raises money for research and treatment. I'm not sure I know anyone who's been affected by these specific cancers, but I signed up because I wanted to do something good for others.
 
Every little bit helps, so please share with your friends and coworkers. I've been stunned by the level of support from my coworkers and am glad I took on this challenge.
 
Thanks for all your love and support! I'll be working hard for this final fundraising stretch and to make sure I'm ready for my first half marathon, the Disneyland Half on August 31. I can't believe how quickly it's coming up! 

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