I'm raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of my dad, who is battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Even before he was diagnosed last winter, the LL Society held a special place in our family's hearts: two other family members are lymphoma survivors, as is one of my friends. Moreover, 10 years ago this summer, my dad, brother, and I ran our first marathon together, and I ran it with the support--and in support--of the LLS. (I ran with the Society's marathon-training group, Team in Training, which has raised over a BILLION dollars in the last 30 years to support research to cure blood cancers.)
After we ran that first marathon together so many years ago, my badass dad went on to run THIRTEEN more marathons!! Including TWO marathons in ONE WEEK! Like I said, he is a badass. But he hasn't been able to run much in the last year because he is now testing his endurance in other ways: through chemotherapy, radiation, and an innovative immunotherapy treatment. We're calling all of these treatments his "fifteenth" marathon.
To honor my wonderful pops, who inspires me in so many ways, I've decided to get back to marathon running--for now, a 13.1 mile race--and to, once again, raise money for the LLS. The particular race I've chosen, the Palos Verdes Half Marathon (on November 17), is special to me because it's actually the first 13.1 course I ever ran...which I ran in support of the LLS.
If you've ever met my amazing father, ever known someone with a blood cancer, ever seen all those purple-shirted TNT runners in a race, or are just moved by this story, please consider making a donation to my campaign. I'm aiming for $1500 to honor my dad's "fifteen" marathons. But any little bit can go a long way! Thank you!!
