“The best part of living is loving.” – Fred Rogers
Love can be expressed in a multitude of ways, and we each thrive at sharing love with our communities in unique ways. In the past few years, I discovered one of my best ways to share love is through using my physical abilities of running long distances to fundraise for non-profits and causes I’m passionate about.
In November 2018, I ran the New York City Marathon while fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and fell in love with running for a cause. In April 2020, I ran my own 40 mile trail race to fundraise for NeighborImpact, a local non-profit in Bend who supports economically disadvantaged residents of Central Oregon with food, housing, and education, and needs all the support they can get during the global pandemic. Now, I’m back and am feeling more ready than ever to run 100 KM (62 miles) for the LLS on the weekend of September 25-27.
September is both Blood Cancer Awareness Month and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It breaks my heart how blood cancer is diagnosed every 3 minutes in the US, and that 40% of pediatric cancers are blood cancers.
Having blood cancer is tough; having blood cancer during the global pandemic is even tougher. The pandemic is magnifying the issues patients face beyond health concerns to include added distress, new financial worries, loneliness and uncertainty.
When you or someone you love hears the words, “you have cancer,” it’s one of the darkest moments in your life. It generates feelings of fear and loneliness. My goal through running and fundraising for the LLS is to spread love and community to blood cancer patients by showing them I truly care about their health and want to help cure their illnesses.
I don’t have the knowledge to create a cure for the blood cancer, but I do have the love, passion, and determination to create funds that will properly be used to support research to fight this deadly disease that has no current means of prevention. The LLS is the global leader in the fight against blood cancer and is working tirelessly to invest in cutting edge research that is fueling critical advancement in blood cancer treatment.
I’m excited to embark on this journey of fundraising for the LLS again with my buddy, Randy Cruickshank, and run 62 miles for a cause. We are looking forward to hosting a unique virtual race weekend with various race distances over October 10-11 to fundraise for the LLS. This is the longest distance I’ve ever attempted to run and I would love to feel support from you, my beloved community.
I appreciate any method you’d like to support my 62-mile race. Whether it’s through donating, sharing my fundraiser with your community, or writing me words of encouragement, THANK YOU!
My goal is to fundraise $10,000 for the LLS. I currently have a generous donor who will match up to $5,000, so please know your donation is essentially doubled until the $5,000 mark. Let’s share the love and see all the good we can create for the blood cancer community!
I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my training and fundraising via this webpage and my social media!
Best,
Mark
