Let me take a moment to rant about what has been going on for the last few months. You all know I signed up to raise money for the American Cancer Society as I trained for a half marathon, let me make this clear that is 13.1 miles that I ran to raise money. The purpose of this was to help an organization that aids in fighting a disease that is taking over the world. More people are affected by cancer than most other diseases because there are so many different kinds. Let's take a few moments to analyze a few of these people affected.
Wayne Maynard: Wayne is the reason I signed up for the program. He had liver cancer. A healthy loving man and father of one of my best friends. He passed shortly after being diagnosed. Wayne was also a softball coach, which is a big reason I am hosting a softball game to raise the rest of the money for ACS. Cancer affected his life, his family, and all those who loved him.
Bert Troutman: Let me start by saying you do not want this woman against you. She had Hodgkin's disease, and she kicked it's butt. She found out 23 years ago, when she gave birth to a son, that she had the disease. She is now 53 years old with more spunk than most of us 23 year olds who can't move off our couch. This woman came out of a disease with triumph. And let me mention that she and her husband did not have insurance to pay for the treatments. Her husband, John, worked day and night only seeing his wife 4 hours a day while they slept so they could pay the bills. Organizations like the American Cancer Society now have programs to help people who can't afford lodging, treatments, and the like.
Ryan Harmon: I actually do not even know Ryan, but I know his mother. She is the most amazing woman I know, and I am sure without her in his life it would have been much harder to overcome. Ryan is now a proud father of a beautiful, spunky toddler Hudson.
My Grandmother, Rose Marie Rasche Solimine: I never got the chance to meet her either. She was taken by lung cancer. I hear stories of her now and wish I would have known her. In her time there probably weren't organizations to help aid in discovery of new treatments like the ACS.
Jolene: A girl I went to elementary school with. She had leukemia. She was ten years old and was taken. I didn't even know how to handle the death of a classmate then. I was ten. She was so innocent. Her room was decorated with angels, and as far as I know still is. Her mom used to tell her they were watching over her while she was sick.
So here are 5 people that I know who have had cancer. I am sure you know plenty more. I thought I had it bad when I signed up to run 13.1 miles, but when it got hard to climb a hill I thought of these people and remembered that running is nothing compared to what they have been through. So if they can fight it for as long as they did or have, and I can run a half marathon, I believe you can donate $5 to help ACS change lives or as they say "Sponsor Birthdays."
I apologize for the anger, but I feel like too many people are not donating to causes during "these hard times." Whether it is this cause or another always remember that someone else has it worse than you. So take the $5 you were gonna buy an overpriced latte with, donate it, and take the crappy cup of coffee from the office lounge.
Let me know if you would like to donate and I will send the info on how to, as the website is currently down.
Or show up at MTSU intramural fields this Saturday to support the softball game. It's at 2 pm and tickets are $5. While you are there head over to MTSU Health Services for free skin cancer screenings.
Sincerely,
Virginia
