team in training

Will I look like this guy soon? Not too sure about that....

But...I am training for a half-marathon! Just goes to show that when you have a purpose and a goal, you can find yourself working toward the most unlikely of things.

Here is a bit that I shared with friends and family who received my "fundraising appeal" email:

The day before my dad died, a flier came in the mail inviting me to join the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to prepare for a running event next fall.  I thought when I looked at the pamphlet that I might like to train to run in my dad's honor, since he had battled lymphoma back in 1998 and now had leukemia.  Little did I know that the next day would be the day acute myeloid leukemia would take his life.  I looked at the flier in the days that followed his death, and felt that perhaps this was a cause I could put energy into so that I could feel as though the leukemia didn't have the last word, that perhaps in raising money for research toward a cure for lymphoma and leukemia, I could take a stand and say that my dad's death was not a defeat, but the completion of his life here on earth and the beginning of his eternal life...and I could find a way to have a different relationship with his disease, a relationship that would motivate me to do something both for my own health (getting in shape) and for the greater good (raising funds for a cure) instead of just hating the word "leukemia" for the rest of my life.

So, my question to you in this email is: Would you consider supporting me in this effort?  I have a minimum fundraising requirement of $1000 to participate in the Hershey Half-Marathon on October 21.  I have contributed the first $50 myself.  Would you consider matching my gift?

If you are part of an organization that might consider a corporate sponsorship, a $1000 gift will provide the opportunity for your organization to have its logo printed on the Team in Training jerseys for this event.  It would mean a lot to me if you would pledge your support!  

Please visit the page below if you'd like to give online, or you can send me a check made out to "LLS" and I will submit the funds to the organization.  (Shoot me an email or leave your email address in the comments if you'd like me to send you my address.)  Thank you in advance! 

http://pages.teamintraining.org/cpa/hershalf12/sjoneszfwj#.T7FxPrNqw-c.gmail

 (Also check out the cool widget to the side!)