Note from Kathleen

Hello,

You probably know I have been training for endurance events with Team in Training (TNT) since June 2007 to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society when my Uncle when he was diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma (he is in remission now), and my cousin who is a survivor of both those blood cancers as well. I have found my passion with this team to make a difference in the world with people suffering from cancer.

In September, I was hit with a terrible blow. My friend, Anna (Fornells) Gaffney, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). She is one of my oldest and dearest friends and when her husband told me of this news it
literally made me nauseous. She is 32 years old, happily married and the mother of a gorgeous 2 year old boy. When you think of spunk and energy and a woman with the best Latina flair it's her. She has been hospitalized since the beginning of September going through a rigorous chemo regimen. She had to spend her birthday and wedding anniversary hooked up to an IV receiving her treatment.

Four days from now I'll be in San Francisco with TNT to run the Nike Women's Half-Marathon. Over 20,000 passionate runners, the majority of them women, will be ready to toe the line at the largest women's-specific race (marathon or half-marathon) supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I will be running in Anna's honor; and I be running in her honor on November 2, 2008, in the New York City Marathon as well. For a combined 39.3 miles, I will have her smiling face on the back of my shirt. This is my way to make a difference in the lives of those with cancer.

*YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE as well by making a DONATION TODAY for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at http://www.Reddy2Run.com.
Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Sponsor me for a $1.00 per mile, $39.30 or what you can afford. *I realize these are financially challenging times, and that's why your gift means more than ever to the 1.4 million people who will be diagnosed with cancer this year, not to mention the millions of people fighting cancer at this very moment.*

*My Fundraising DEADLINE is TOMORROW MORNING* (10/16/08)! This is my last email before my Fall Marathons. *Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my cause.

You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. You can still donate after the deadline, but the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the patients and families they serve need your help now.

Anna will be with me every step of the way through my races. I will be running for Anna for as long as it takes; until is she is in remission and cured. Please help be a part of this cause by making a donation today.
Thank you and be well,
Kathleen

PS - Attached are photos of Anna and Me on a little road trip we took out Montauk a few years ago. She's a stellar and wonderful woman!

***Please forward this email to your friends, family, and/or business associates. You never know who has been affected by blood cancers.***

*What your donation will do * (see my page for more, http://www.Reddy2Run.com ):
* $50 will register 1 person to be a bone marrow donor.
* $100 will pay for the cost of 4 patient's chemotherapy drug prescription co-payments.
* $300 will train 25 peer volunteers who can provide emotional support to newly diagnosed patients.
* $500 will provide patient aid to a person with Leukemia or a related cancer for a year.
* $1000 allows patients to meet with health care specialists to design and discuss their disease, treatment plan and prepare them with the info they will need during the treatment process.

Kathleen M. Reddy