It has been a great first month in my endeavor to train for a 100 mile bike ride and raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). I can now proudly say I have ridden 40 miles in one day and raised $860 towards my $2,500 goal. Each of my final goals is a ways off, but it feels great to make this much progress in the first 6 weeks.
The training is not easy, but it is great to have a team supporting each other. Before many of our team rides, one team member tells why they are involved in raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This past Saturday, it was my turn to share my reason.
I spoke about talking to my dad via telephone on June 30th, 2006. He could barely talk and we were concerned that the first round of chemo might be too much for him. He wasn’t able to say much, but he ended the conversation by saying, “I’ll talk to you in the morning.” That one statement let me know that he knew he had a hard fight in front of him that night, but he was going to make it through to the morning.
Thinking about that conversation before I go on a long training ride is great mental preparation. What is a small hill compared to what my dad was facing? There are times when my legs are literally trembling from fatigue, but I just keep thinking, “I can’t stop, I can’t stop.” I make it over those hills and my dad made it through the night.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society also has a tough challenge. Did you know Leukemia is the number one disease killer of children, yet it affects 10 times as many adults! Every week 2,200 new people are diagnosed. In that same time frame, 1,050 patients lose their hard fought battle.
You can help them with that challenge by making a donation today. Big or small, it will be put to good use – it goes directly to patients and to finding a cure. In fact, more than 75% of the funds spent by The Society go directly to research the causes and treatments for blood cancers.
If you would like to donate, you can do so online at http://bit.ly/Patrick2011 or by mailing a check made out to the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society to Patrick Anderson, 8822 E Easter Pl, Centennial, CO 80112.
My cycling team is also working on creative ways to raise money. We have already had a Pizza Night at Beau Jo’s Pizza and in the coming weeks we are planning yard sales, comedy nights, bowling nights and more to help us all raise money to fight cancer. Let me know if you are interested in any of these events and I will make sure you get all the details.
Patrick
P.S. This week, The Villager has a feature article about our bike ride and my dad. Please take a moment to read it by visiting: http://bit.ly/mmyzIU
