Ok, my donation link is up and running!
Go to: http://austin07.livestrong.org/andreagale
or click on the donation link to the right!
Pass this around to everyone, each donation adds up quickly and will help me raise my goal of $10,000.
Also, I have added 3 more people to the memory list to the right as well. My boyfriend Jim Heslin lost his greataunt Edith a few months ago, his grandmother Grace just before Christmas 2005, and his uncle Dennis Heslin a few years ago. Please think of them and all those lost, and pray for those currently suffering.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
So many others!
Wow, I think I could have written more yesterday, but I got a bit too emotional. I went shopping last night with my best friend and we were talking about my new endeavour. While talking I realized that there are so many people affected by cancer. I'm not sure I know anyone in my circle of friends, colleagues, and other passers-by that haven't been affected by this disease in some form or another. So, I have decided to keep a list of those I know who have passed or are currently suffering from cancer. As I raise money, train, and continue to update this blog, I will constantly be reminded of who I'm doing this for.
For my family, and my best friend Dawn....
In Memory of:
Sandra Ann Dixon - pancreatic/liver cancer; my mother
Spring Thorpe - breast cancer; my mother's sister
Ron Pankuch - lymphoma; my uncle
Marion McCord - breast cancer; Dawn's grandmother
Minnie Camacho - lung cancer; Dawn's grandmother
John Camacho Sr. - prostate cancer; Dawn's grandfather
Danielle Camacho - bone cancer; Dawn's cousin
Dr. Arthur James - colon/brain/lung cancer; professor of economics Texas A&M University, Galveston
If anyone wants me to add someone to my list, email me!
For my family, and my best friend Dawn....
In Memory of:
Sandra Ann Dixon - pancreatic/liver cancer; my mother
Spring Thorpe - breast cancer; my mother's sister
Ron Pankuch - lymphoma; my uncle
Marion McCord - breast cancer; Dawn's grandmother
Minnie Camacho - lung cancer; Dawn's grandmother
John Camacho Sr. - prostate cancer; Dawn's grandfather
Danielle Camacho - bone cancer; Dawn's cousin
Dr. Arthur James - colon/brain/lung cancer; professor of economics Texas A&M University, Galveston
If anyone wants me to add someone to my list, email me!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Starting today....
May 5 2006 was not a good day for me. In fact, it wasn't really a good day for anyone in my family. This was the day my mother passed away from cancer. I was sitting at work at my desk, not really paying attention to "work", when I got the call from my father. Empty was a feeling I had, I guess, but is there really a description for that feeling of loss? Honestly, I'm not sure I have the creative vocabulary necessary to describe how I felt at that moment. May 5th is coming up soon, again.... One year without a mother, one year of 'soul searching' and reflection. Did I recover emotionally, not really, I think I just deal. But over this last year, I have learned a lot of things about myself and what I value. I value my family and appreciate what they mean to me, and I value the memory of my mother. The memory of all the good things and the love that she showed to us, no matter how bizarre the situation. It is that memory of her that made me decide to write this blog and to dedicate my next "big" riding event to her.
Involving cycling and my mother's disease is pretty easy. Lance Armstrong and his story is legendary. Even before my mother got sick I was getting into long distance cycling, and admiring the efforts of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for fighting this horrible disease. I was, at the time of her diagnosis, training for my second MS-150 ride from Houston to Austin. What a great cause, and what a fantastic way to stay in shape, right? (http://www.ms150.org/) In fact, the first day of the 2006 MS-150, mom was suddenly put into the hospital. I didn't ride that first day, but I did go along with my team to support them. I was too worried about missing a phone call from my dad. The second day I rode with great vigor, and bleeding my aggression on the hills of Buescher State Park and surrounding areas. When finishing in Austin, the usual rush from the crowd was not the same. I was completely uninterested in what was going on around me, I wanted to check in with my dad and see how things were back home. I think I was a bit of a downer for the people around me too.
I just finished my third MS-150 yesterday, and it has gotten me thinking. If I can raise money for multiple sclerosis, why can't I do the same thing to fight a disease that took my mother, and unfortunately my mother's sister as well. The riding and training would take on so much more of a meaning for me personally. So.... I have signed up to ride 100 miles in the Ride for the Roses. All that aggression that I felt last year will be refocused on a new cause. (http://www.livestrong.org/)
I have set a couple of huge goals for myself. First, to do my first century ride, and second a huge fundraising goal,... $10000. Nice round number, and it gets a bit of attention. This, I thought, will keep my mom alive, maybe not physically, but spiritually. It will remind my family of her and my aunt, and it will contribute to a charity in which I'm very fond. The money raised will help make a difference in the fight against cancer.
This blog will focus on my training, fundraising, and other bits and pieces of nonsense. When I have my fundraising site finished I will post that here as well.
Starting today with this blog, I will help the fight against cancer.
Involving cycling and my mother's disease is pretty easy. Lance Armstrong and his story is legendary. Even before my mother got sick I was getting into long distance cycling, and admiring the efforts of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for fighting this horrible disease. I was, at the time of her diagnosis, training for my second MS-150 ride from Houston to Austin. What a great cause, and what a fantastic way to stay in shape, right? (http://www.ms150.org/) In fact, the first day of the 2006 MS-150, mom was suddenly put into the hospital. I didn't ride that first day, but I did go along with my team to support them. I was too worried about missing a phone call from my dad. The second day I rode with great vigor, and bleeding my aggression on the hills of Buescher State Park and surrounding areas. When finishing in Austin, the usual rush from the crowd was not the same. I was completely uninterested in what was going on around me, I wanted to check in with my dad and see how things were back home. I think I was a bit of a downer for the people around me too.
I just finished my third MS-150 yesterday, and it has gotten me thinking. If I can raise money for multiple sclerosis, why can't I do the same thing to fight a disease that took my mother, and unfortunately my mother's sister as well. The riding and training would take on so much more of a meaning for me personally. So.... I have signed up to ride 100 miles in the Ride for the Roses. All that aggression that I felt last year will be refocused on a new cause. (http://www.livestrong.org/)
I have set a couple of huge goals for myself. First, to do my first century ride, and second a huge fundraising goal,... $10000. Nice round number, and it gets a bit of attention. This, I thought, will keep my mom alive, maybe not physically, but spiritually. It will remind my family of her and my aunt, and it will contribute to a charity in which I'm very fond. The money raised will help make a difference in the fight against cancer.
This blog will focus on my training, fundraising, and other bits and pieces of nonsense. When I have my fundraising site finished I will post that here as well.
Starting today with this blog, I will help the fight against cancer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)