Dear Friends,
Today I want you to go to the gym and swim 66 laps (1 lap = 25yds). Tomorrow, go for a 2-hour bike ride. And this weekend put on those running shoes at 7am and complete a 10k race.
On September 29 I will be completing this 1.5k (.93 mile) swim, 40k (24.8 mile) bike ride and 10k (6.2 mile) run sequentially in an Olympic distance triathlon. I am training for the triathlon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Program.
I learned about Team in Training through a close friend of mine who has participated in several triathlons with the team. A year later, a friend from college wrote to tell me she had been diagnosed with Lymphoma, the same kind my grandfather was fighting, and that her brother had joined Team in Training. After receiving two more letters, I decided I could do more than just donate to friends. Inspired by the courage and strength of those I know who have fought Lymphoma and Hodgkin's Disease and the honorees I had read about in many fundraising letters, I signed up to participate in the Walt Disney World Triathlon with Team and Training, and set a goal to raise $4000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
In addition to professional coaching and support from Team in Training, participants are matched with an honored patient who provides inspiration and a personal connection to the cause. I will be training in honor of Jennifer Nagel. Jen was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in 1998 at the age of 26. She was just one year older than I am now. She went into remission in 1999 after treatment that included chemotherapy and removal of a tumor on her brain stem. A year later she participated in the San Diego Marathon with Team in Training. Jen had a full relapse this past fall. As part of her treatment, Jen is currently in Milwaukee for an autologous bone marrow transplant: a transplant of her own marrow harvested and frozen during remission. In addition to Jennifer, I will be participating in honor of friends who have fought Lymphoma and Hodgkin's Disease, and in memory of my grandfather who lost his battle with Lymphoma on February 25, 2000. You can make a difference in the lives of people fighting Leukemia, Lymphoma and other blood-related cancers. Fill out the attached sponsor form and send it back to me with your donation. Over 75% of your tax-deductible donation will go to research and patient services. Please feel free to share with me the stories of your honored and remembered friends and family. You can also copy and pass along this letter to people you know who would be interested in supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
I will be keeping an online journal to keep you and my other sponsors updated on my progress towards my training and fundraising goals: http://www.columbia.edu/~adt2002/tnt/. Your donation of $100 or more will receive special recognition in my training log the day it is received. Remember that a donation of any amount can help the fight against blood-related cancers. All sponsors will be recognized on the site, or you can remain anonymous, if you prefer.
Steady advances in research and treatment are bringing us closer to a cure for blood-related cancers. In 1960, survival rate for childhood leukemia was 4%; today it is 81% thanks to research funded in part by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Join me in the fight to make Leukemia, Lymphoma and other blood-related cancers a thing of the past and help me exceed my $4000 fundraising goal.
Thank you for your contribution and support,
Andrea Tartaro
http://www.columbia.edu/~adt2002/tnt/
Donation Form (Word doc)
For more information about Team in Training and the Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society, visit:
http://www.teamintraining.org
http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org
Last modified: Sun May 26 16:36:53 Eastern Daylight Time 2002