2008 Marathon For Marsha
On October 12th, I will run my 5th Chicago Marathon, my 15th marathon in just over 4 years, and most importantly, the sixth "Marathon for Marsha". It is hard to believe how fast time passes and how much progress we have made in just a few years, so I wanted to share some history and ask for your support...
In the Spring of 2003, my brother, Craig, announced he was going to run the Chicago Marathon to raise money for the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA). Dubbing the event ?Marathon for Marsha?, he recruited three other runners. When he announced he would not be running again in 2004, my daughter, Danielle, and I wondered if we could actually run 26.2 miles. Neither of us had ever run more than a few miles on a treadmill.
So, when we started training for our first marathon in April 2004, we knew little about what we were getting ourselves into. Our motivation was to continue what my brother had started as a fund-raising event for the ABTA in memory of my mom. Who knew an 18 week commitment would turn into an obsession with running.
We completed our training (with some challenges) and in October 2004 Danielle and I ran, with a few friends, in the second "Marathon for Marsha" (and completed our first marathon!) Following on the success of these two years, ABTA became an official charity of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2005. That year we had 43 runners participating in the growing "Runners Sharing Hope" campaign.
What started as "Marathon for Marsha" by those whose lives she touched has grown into "Runners Sharing Hope" and last year we had 65 runners and raised more than $100,000 placing us among the top 20 of 82 participating charitable organizations in terms of fundraising success. With this success, the American Brain Tumor Association recognized our contributions with a two year research fellowship in Marsha's memory. This year we
hope to raise $150,000 through the participation of 100 Sharing Hope runners.
My mom?s fight was more difficult than any one of us could have ever imagined, and she faced it with courage and determination despite the outcome. The strength and courage she showed during her battle with the brain tumor that claimed her life in August of 2000 is alive in all whose life she touched. Reaching this new milestone shows that we can live what she taught us; that we can always do more than we think ourselves capable, that God never allows us a cross we can't bear, and we can achieve whatever we set in our hearts and minds.
So once again, Marsha?s battle becomes our race... not just our race to the finish line at 26.2 miles. Rather, the battle becomes a race to find more effective treatments for brain tumors... to provide better and more accessible information about living with and fighting them... to help more people who have so much more to achieve in their own lives... to give hope where people desperately need and deserve it.
I'd love the company along the way, but you don't have to run 26.2 miles to show your support. Instead, you can be a virtual runner in the "Marathon for Marsha" by sponsoring the miles we run. Every contribution will help us win this battle and all contributions go directly to ABTA.
"Marathon for Marsha" is a race that begins with you and me, but it ends with all of the people whose lives depend on us winning it.
You can make your contribution online by visiting:
http://www.active.com/donate/ABTA2008/MarathonForMarsha08
See how the team is doing here: http://www.active.com/donate/ABTA2008
You can find out more about the American Brain Tumor Association by visiting: http://www.abta.org
Thank you in advance for your support!