Winter Season - Week 10

"The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed."

~ Martina Navratilova

Fundraising Tip

Be sure to ask around to all of your donors about Matching Funds. Lot's of large corporations offer this benefit to their employees at 50% or sometimes even 100% of the funds donated by the employee. The employee must complete the necessary paperwork.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS RECOMMITMENT?

It's that wonderful time in the season when we take a look at how well your training is going and how well your fundraising is going and determine whether it is wise to continue on. We really want to cure cancer so we want to inspire all of you to continue on, but we don't want you to pay your fundraising minimum yourselves unless that is your choice. We ask for a credit card number at recommitment because we want you to confirm your commitment to raising the necessary funds to get you to your event and fulfill the Society's mission of 75 cents on every dollar going to research and patient services. After recommitment I will begin booking travel, making sure we have a great hotel lined up, registering everyone for their event, and verifying our parties are secured. Please be sure to fill out the paperwork thoroughly so we don't have a lot of changes and fees. Don't forget, you have 30 days after your event to continue to raise funds, so even if I do have to charge your card, you'll have time to make up the difference for a refund. Recommitment Paperwork will be mailed Monday October 26th!!!

Team In Training In The News

Endurance Sports Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/
Visitors Per Month – 1,766,717

2009 Nike Women’s Marathon Results: California Runner Wins
http://www.examiner.com/x-2490-Endurance-Sports-Examiner~y2009m10d18-2009-Nike-womens-Marathon-results-California-runner-wins
By Roman Mica
Over 20,000 women took to the streets of San Francisco today to run the 2009 Nike women's marathon and to raise $14 million for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. At the end of the race it was Californian Caitlin Smith of Oakland who finished the full marathon first in a time of 2:58:52. At the half marathon distance it was Carrie Dimoff of Portland, Ore. who won with a time of 1:25:26. "I loved the race," said Barb Mica who completed the half marathon. "It was very hilly but scenic. The runners are all so polite compared to coed triathlon it felt like a bunch of nice girls," she added. At the end of the race Firefighters handed out small wrapped Tiffany and Co. boxes to the finishers that held a silver necklace with the inscription "Run Like a Girl."

Mission Moment

Nate Robert Wilkos

Middletown, CT United States

Living with ALL for 1 year, 10 months

Age: 5

Everything was going great. My family was expecting a third child in March. She came on Feb 27, 06 - with some complications. I almost lost my mom and sister, but they both pulled through. Four weeks later, my parents noticed a lump near my ear, the doctor said it was a swollen gland and gave me some antibiotics. Then, another lump grew under my chin. The doctor said to go and see my ENT. The ENT said I had Lyme disease or Mononucleosis, and not to worry. They took some blood and it all came back fine. So the ENT did a biopsy on the lump and it came back as Precursor B-cell Lymphoma. My parent's took me to the oncologist the next day and they did a bone marrow biopsy. I had 30% blast cells and was told that I had pre-B leukemia (ALL). My parent’s world fell apart, but we all made it through the rough part of chemo and I am now in the maintenance part of chemo and doing fine. My hair is even starting to come back!

Winter Season - Week 8

Men do less than they ought, unless they do all they can.
~Thomas Carlyle

Fundraising Tip:
Make copies of your letter and keep it in your purse or car. Make sure you give one to people you run into on the street. You never know!

Frequently Asked Questions:
WHAT IS RECOMMITMENT?
It's that wonderful time in the season when we take a look at how well your training is going and how well your fundraising is going and determine whether it is wise to continue on. We really want to cure cancer so we want to inspire all of you to continue on, but we don't want you to pay your fundraising minimum yourselves unless that is your choice. We ask for a credit card number at recommitment because we want you to confirm your commitment to raising the necessary funds to get you to your event and fulfill the Society's mission of 75 cents on every dollar going to research and patient services. After recommitment I will begin booking travel, making sure we have a great hotel lined up, registering everyone for their event, and verifying our parties are secured. Please be sure to fill out the paperwork thoroughly so we don't have a lot of changes and fees. Don't forget, you have 30 days after your event to continue to raise funds, so even if I do have to charge your card, you'll have time to make up the difference for a refund. Recommitment Paperwork will be mailed out Monday October 26th!!!

Mission Moment:
In Memory Of William Fischer
WI United States
male
Lived with Lymphoma T-Cell for 1 year, 4 months

My father died in 1994 after a fast, but courageous battle with T-Cell Lymphoma. I miss him so very much, and wish every day that he could be here. My biggest sorrow is that my daughter and son will never have a chance to know their grandfather.

I pray every day that new treatments will be developed so that other fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters can live longer, fuller lives.

Winter Season - Week 7

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

~Lewis Carroll

Fundraising Tip

Send a Postcard Reminder to those who haven't donated yet. Be sure to update your list at this time as you may have realized someone you forgot earlier or you may have recently met someone new.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT ARE SOME NEW APPROACHES TO TREATMENT?

• Monoclonal Antibodies- The treatment fuses radioactive iodine to a monoclonal antibody. These antibodies are used as guided missiles to target and destroy malignant cells in leukemia patients. Since the antibody attaches to specific sites on the surface of the cancerous white blood cells but not to normal tissues, it focuses the radiation effect on the leukemia cells.

• Blood Cell Growth Factors-These are naturally occurring body proteins that help regulate the number of blood cells in circulation. These factors can be genetically engineered into drugs and used to treat acute leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

• Umbilical Cord Blood- Transplant specialists use blood from the umbilical cord and placenta of newborns to replace the diseased marrow of children with leukemia who no longer responded to conventional methods of treatment. Umbilical cord blood is an excellent source of stem cells (also present in marrow) that can reconstitute a healthy blood cell population. LSA researchers were among the first in the nation to perform cord blood transplants from unrelated donors.

• New Drugs-Leukemia & Lymphoma Society researchers are evaluating drugs in development and novel drug combinations as the foundation for more promising new treatments. The use of purine nucleotides such as 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (2-CdA), is under investigation for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia.

Mission Moment

In Memory Of Luz E. Burgos

New York, NY

United States

female

Lived with Leukemia - rare type for 2 months

My mother was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia on Mother's Day of 2006, at the age of 62. Unfortunately, she died two months later. She chose to spend the rest of her days at Zicklin Hospice in NYC. They made her last days absolutely wonderful. Until the day she passed she had a smile on her face because of all the support she received. Please, please, if your loved one chooses this path, please support them and enjoy the time they have left. My mother was an amazing woman full of life, love and happiness. She lived and died that way.