Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training

May 7, 2009

Thank you, , for mentioning my efforts. My current fundraising web

page appeared by mistake when I posted the message about my 10th

anniversary of the day I swallowed my first Gleevec capsules (yes, they

were capsules then.) Since I am currently fundraising for the Seattle

Marathon with the LLS's Team in Training, I have my web page in the

signature of my email messages, and I forgot to delete it before posting.

I, too, wasn't sure if it would be the right thing to do to include it.

, you may remember my photo and write-up in the beautiful book you

organized for Dr. Druker on his birthday. It shows me with my arms up in

victory at the Los Angeles Marathon in 2001. That was the first event my

husband Van and I did for Team in Training. Right now we are training and

fundraising for our 9th marathon. We do this because we found out that

the LLS supported Dr. Druker in his research that led to Gleevec when no

one else would. We think of Team in Training as playing a big part in

saving my life. And so, we run and walk on and on and on. We are proud to

say that so far our fundraising effforts have raised over $160,000 over

these years we've been on our Team in Training team. We have met some of

the most wonderful people of all ages, origins and walks of life. The

young people on the team keep me young, thank goodness (I am now 63.) As

honored teammate, I have spoken at several of the inspirational dinners

they have the night before the marathons just to let the Team in Training

participants know how thankful I am for what they do. You know, before

Gleevec there were approximately 30,000 CML patients alive at any given

time. Today we have passed the 100,000 mark and are heading for an

estimated 250,000 or more in 2010. (We found this out when we attended

the ASH meeting last year.) As far as I'm concerned, anyone raising money

for the LLS is welcome to share that with me. As a First Connection

volunteer, I see firsthand how wonderful that program is for newly

diagnosed patients (I wish that program had been there when I was

diagnosed almost 12 years ago!) And we all benefit from the Society's

teleconferences on CML, the co-pay assistance program, grants for travel

and other necessities in our treatment, CML Links, the webcasts, and all

the other wonderful informational and educational aspects the LLS website

offers us. Anyone who raises money for the LLS is helping fund all of

this, and I am thankful. I support anyone who helps take the fear out of

my soul. Warmest wishes to all, Virginia GarnerI

I'm training for another marathon and fundraising to help find a cure for

cancer. Click here to help me:

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