Heather & Jason Goracke's Race for Life
Dear Friends:
I want to start by thanking all of you who have already mailed in donations. I always knew we had good friends, but your generosity and sincerity have been tremendous. We had an intermediate fundraising goal of $2,600 and we made that goal thanks to all of you. Our next and final goal is to have the remainder of the $9,000 by 11/1/2002. Those of you who have already given, please browse the site to see what you have supported. We'll be making periodic updates so check back. Those of you who are still in the process of giving, and those who are hearing about this for the first time, thanks for your interest in our cause, please help us reach our goal to end Leukemia.
BELOW IS A COPY OF OUR LETTER TELLING YOU ABOUT OUR MISSION.
September 24, 2002
Dear Friends and Family:
A few weeks ago, Jason & I decided to join the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training (TNT). This program offers participants the training and support to compete in a major endurance event. In return for the training, participants are asked to help find a cure for blood related cancers through collecting tax-deductible donations to the Leukemia Society (LLS). Jason & I have decided to run in the Honolulu Marathon on December 8th. We will be running 26.2 miles!
You might be wondering why on earth we have decided to run a marathon and why with the TNT? It all started a few years ago when Jason decided he wanted to run a marathon before he reached his 30th birthday. Well, with that just around the corner we had to get serious. When we received an invitation to join the TNT we immediately felt a connection to their cause since leukemia is no stranger to our family. Several years ago, my uncle Joe was diagnosed with leukemia. During his fight he was lucky enough to have found a perfect donor for a bone marrow transplant. The donor was his brother, who is also my father, Vince. My dad and uncle underwent this very complicated procedure, and the transplant was successful. However, despite the positive change of events, my Uncle Joe caught pneumonia before he completely regained his strength from the bone marrow transplant and he did not survive. Today, through the efforts and research of the LLS the survival rate has increased dramatically for people in my uncle’s situation and we would like to help continue this trend.
When joining TNT you are paired up with an honored patient, from your hometown that is currently battling some form of leukemia. Our honored patients are Daniel & Gabriel, two young boys who were diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. One child was diagnosed before his second birthday and the other shortly after his third. Both children are currently undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments for their illnesses. The boys are now age four and six, they enjoy all the typical little boy activities like riding bikes, playing with siblings, reading books, and watching movies.
Jason and I are proud to be running in remembrance of my uncle Joe, and in honor of Daniel and Gabriel. In addition to committing to train for and complete the marathon, we have committed to raising a minimum of $9,000 to fight leukemia. We hope not only to reach that goal, but to exceed it as well and to do that we will need your help. We are asking you to make a donation, large or small, to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Every gift is both needed and appreciated.
Your donation will fund much needed research sponsored by the Leukemia Society and that research is working. Twenty years ago there was no effective treatment for leukemia. Today, one out of every four adults stricken with leukemia will achieve long-term survival and 78% of children diagnosed will be cured. Even with these great strides, leukemia remains the number one killer of children, taking a life every twelve minutes and ten times as many adults as children are stricken. I have enclosed a donor card and envelope for your convenience. If you are able to help, please return the envelope with your donation and donor card as soon as possible.
Jason and I have been blessed with many things in our life, including good health, and still the challenge to finishing this 26.2 mile run at times seems insurmountable, however when compared to the daily challenges faced by those affected by cancer it seems small. The TNT has a saying for us as we struggle along with our training, and it has quickly become one of our favorites, they say, “If you think running a marathon is hard, try chemotherapy.” Keeping those things in mind helps us keep our feet moving. Thank you in advance for helping us make our monetary goals, your support of us and the Leukemia Society is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Heather, Jason & Brayden Goracke
I want to start by thanking all of you who have already mailed in donations. I always knew we had good friends, but your generosity and sincerity have been tremendous. We had an intermediate fundraising goal of $2,600 and we made that goal thanks to all of you. Our next and final goal is to have the remainder of the $9,000 by 11/1/2002. Those of you who have already given, please browse the site to see what you have supported. We'll be making periodic updates so check back. Those of you who are still in the process of giving, and those who are hearing about this for the first time, thanks for your interest in our cause, please help us reach our goal to end Leukemia.
BELOW IS A COPY OF OUR LETTER TELLING YOU ABOUT OUR MISSION.
September 24, 2002
Dear Friends and Family:
A few weeks ago, Jason & I decided to join the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training (TNT). This program offers participants the training and support to compete in a major endurance event. In return for the training, participants are asked to help find a cure for blood related cancers through collecting tax-deductible donations to the Leukemia Society (LLS). Jason & I have decided to run in the Honolulu Marathon on December 8th. We will be running 26.2 miles!
You might be wondering why on earth we have decided to run a marathon and why with the TNT? It all started a few years ago when Jason decided he wanted to run a marathon before he reached his 30th birthday. Well, with that just around the corner we had to get serious. When we received an invitation to join the TNT we immediately felt a connection to their cause since leukemia is no stranger to our family. Several years ago, my uncle Joe was diagnosed with leukemia. During his fight he was lucky enough to have found a perfect donor for a bone marrow transplant. The donor was his brother, who is also my father, Vince. My dad and uncle underwent this very complicated procedure, and the transplant was successful. However, despite the positive change of events, my Uncle Joe caught pneumonia before he completely regained his strength from the bone marrow transplant and he did not survive. Today, through the efforts and research of the LLS the survival rate has increased dramatically for people in my uncle’s situation and we would like to help continue this trend.
When joining TNT you are paired up with an honored patient, from your hometown that is currently battling some form of leukemia. Our honored patients are Daniel & Gabriel, two young boys who were diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. One child was diagnosed before his second birthday and the other shortly after his third. Both children are currently undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments for their illnesses. The boys are now age four and six, they enjoy all the typical little boy activities like riding bikes, playing with siblings, reading books, and watching movies.
Jason and I are proud to be running in remembrance of my uncle Joe, and in honor of Daniel and Gabriel. In addition to committing to train for and complete the marathon, we have committed to raising a minimum of $9,000 to fight leukemia. We hope not only to reach that goal, but to exceed it as well and to do that we will need your help. We are asking you to make a donation, large or small, to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Every gift is both needed and appreciated.
Your donation will fund much needed research sponsored by the Leukemia Society and that research is working. Twenty years ago there was no effective treatment for leukemia. Today, one out of every four adults stricken with leukemia will achieve long-term survival and 78% of children diagnosed will be cured. Even with these great strides, leukemia remains the number one killer of children, taking a life every twelve minutes and ten times as many adults as children are stricken. I have enclosed a donor card and envelope for your convenience. If you are able to help, please return the envelope with your donation and donor card as soon as possible.
Jason and I have been blessed with many things in our life, including good health, and still the challenge to finishing this 26.2 mile run at times seems insurmountable, however when compared to the daily challenges faced by those affected by cancer it seems small. The TNT has a saying for us as we struggle along with our training, and it has quickly become one of our favorites, they say, “If you think running a marathon is hard, try chemotherapy.” Keeping those things in mind helps us keep our feet moving. Thank you in advance for helping us make our monetary goals, your support of us and the Leukemia Society is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Heather, Jason & Brayden Goracke