In June 2008, my friend Gerald was diagnosed with a rare form of head & neck cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. As must be the case with every cancer treatment, Gerald has had his share of ups and downs, good news and bad. Surgery and radiation treatment have made the past year a challenging one but thankfully as of late, his tests have come back clear and he seems to feel pretty good. (At least that’s what telling us.)
A few months ago, Gerald signed up for the 2009 Philadelphia LIVESTRONG Challenge that will take place this August. He and a few friends will be participating in a 70 mile bike race to help raise awareness for cancer and money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Within Gerald’s email asking for support, came a good-natured invitation for anyone to join his team if they were so inclined. Originally I was content with supporting Gerald from only a financial perspective but the more and more I thought about it, the more I wanted to share the experience with him. I have had but a few visits with Gerald since his diagnosis and missed out on the lone group trip down to North Carolina with some old baseball teammates to see him. Aside from all of the positives associated with this race and cause, signing up to participate would selfishly give me some quality time with an old friend that I just don’t get to see enough.
Last week, my buddy Mike signed up giving me a potential northern Virginia training partner and the nudge I needed to commit. So with all of that being said, I just completed registration for the race in Philly joining Gerald’s “Wannabe Riders Against Cancer” team.
My current goal is to raise $250. A small amount in comparison to the $5000+ that Gerald has already raised. If you are interested in supporting the cause, donations can be made online here: http://philly09.livestrong.org/dascentral. Any amount you give, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated.
I find I do much better with this blog when I have a purpose (e.g. SE Asia trip) so I’ll do my best to keep you up to date with training and events leading up to the race.
