Everyone reading this blog knows that, over the past two and a half years, I have done little more than deal with RA and try to stay healthy enough to graduate from my dual degree program at CU. I really haven't had the time (or energy) for much else. But I am finally about to graduate - this very week, in fact!!
In celebration of my graduation (and accomplishing it despite RA), APL, River, and I will be walking in the Denver Jingle Bell 5k Run/Walk for the Arthritis Foundation on Sunday as Team Z. We'll be joined by 6 local friends: RK, MM, AN, PN, TL, HL, and CV (plus two more canine friends - Buddy and Charlie!). We'll also be walking "with" my sister, her boyfriend, and their friend LB, who will be participating in the Seattle event. And of course MK and AML and their friends, who will be running in Baltimore.
Right now, Team Z is actually the top fund raising team in Denver. We have raised MORE THAN $3,000 Arthritis Foundation!! This amount is more than SIX times our original fund raising goal!!! And, if you count the funds raised by our "sister" teams in Baltimore and Seattle, my friends and family are responsible for contributing over $4,000 to the Arthritis Foundation this December!! So thank you! I am so very excited to make such an amazing contribution to the Arthritis Foundation and to do something so positive with my RA.
But, honestly, what has been most amazing to me in this whole fund raising experience is not the amounts that people have donated, or even the impressive total we have raised. What has meant the most to me is that so many people have donated. My parents and my sister and my aunts and uncles and cousins. Austin's grandma and aunts and uncles and cousins. My future in-laws and their friends. My sister's friends (some of whom I've never even met). Friends in Bolder who can't join us for the walk. Friends from high school. My friends from college (some of whom I have barely talked to in the past 5 years). Law school friends. My neighbor. My roommate. Austin's work.
Whether you contributed $10 or $200, when I walk that 5k on Sunday I know I will have the love and support of SEVENTY PEOPLE. And that is worth more to me than I can say.
So thank you. All of you. So much.
TEAM Z - CURRENT TOTAL: $3,300
Specifically, I'd like to thank (in alphabetical order):
- AJ K.
- Alex L.
- Alex N.
- Angel P.
- Andrew L.
- Antoinette C.
- Azad B.
- Barbara L.
- Becky P.
- Becky Z.
- Ben L.
- Benjamin C.
- Bernie F.
- Brian K.
- Carlos V.
- Carole D.
- Charlie L.
- Chris D.
- Debra S.
- Elise A.
- Erica K.
- Ernie T.
- Ernie Z.
- Everon Technology Services
- Gesa L.
- Halli B.
- Hayley L.
- Hilary L.
- Jack D.
- Jack Z.
- Jake A.
- Jan R.
- Jess T.
- Jessica P.
- Jia T.
- Jill C.
- Jody L.
- John T.
- JoyT.
- Kathy A.
- Kelly A.
- Kipp C.
- Laura S.
- Lauren K.
- Leanne H.
- Libby C.
- Leo D.
- Lindsey B.
- Logan B.
- Louise F.
- Marian S.
- Marianne Z.
- Matt M.
- Meghan K.
- Mike T.
- Mindy L.
- Nancy K.
- Nick K.
- Paris N.
- Paul D.
- Rebecca K.
- Sallie J.
- Sarah Z.
- Shar R.
- Steve C.
- Steve S.
- Stuart R.
- Sylvia Z.
- Tei L.
- Tim L.
- Tracy R.
- Wendy Z.
If you'd still like to join or donate to Team Z in Denver, please click here. (If you want to walk with us, registration closes online Friday at noon!! Again, please feel free to join us - even if we've never met!!)
To join or donate to MK & AML's team in Baltimore, please click here.
To join or donate to my sister's team in Seattle, please click here.
Jingle all the way!!
4 comments:
Woohoo! And, I say modestly, told you! :) L
Indeed you did, Laurie. Indeed you did. ~;o)
Maraiah- ive been reading but my posts have posted. Congrats on all the grad work and wedding pkanning.
My family and I just did the Chicago Jingle Run on Saturday! It's fun! You can see pictures on my site. Www.randomamanda8.com
Hope you have fun! Mandy
MANDY: I checked out the pictures from the Chicago run!! Looks like it was a lot of fun - and congrats on your awesome fund raising success! I tried to post a comment on your blog, but I don't think it went through, so I hope you see this note here. Adjusting to a diagnosis like RA is hard - I'm honestly still working on it myself. Every single day. But I hope that it helps you to know that you are not alone. That's a thought that helped me a lot. ~;o) Feel free to contact me anytime.
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