OPEN LETTER TO Team CANCER to 5K

Another 12-weeks has flown by and SPRING 2010 marked some HUGE firsts for the CANCER to 5K program. I'd like to take a moment to share them with you all.

This season CANCER to 5K:

• had 16 runners training for 5K or 7-mile race distances
• doubled the number of NEW RUNNERS to the program this season!
• 3 of our 16 runners trained "at home" in FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA and ARIZONA
• had 25 volunteer pace leaders and sherpas help through the 12-week season
• had one broken toe (not running related)
• had our first fundraiser "COLORS OF EMOTIONS" art show with The CRUZ Collection and raised over $3200.00 for the program

As with any running season, sometimes life gets in the way - we have 4 runners who will not be racing a 5K at the end of this season. The reason's are varied but there are two positives that come out of this:
• Nobody has had to stop running due to cancer reoccurrence
• 3 of our 4 runners have ALREADY COMMITTED TO COMING BACK IN THE FALL to start a new round of 12-weeks of training!!!

I want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to a set of very special people - our Coach, the Ulman Cancer Fund, Assitant Coaches and Volunteers, without whom, none of this would be possible.

THANK YOU TO:

• Coach Bob Shaver, ShaverMulti Sport - for your hard work and dedication and for wearing both hats, whenever necessary: "Nice Coach Bob" and "Mean Coach Bob"

Even "Mean Coach Bob" isn't really that mean...and we *do* listen...and everything is "good", "fine", "_____" (insert one syllable word here! - THANK YOU for your love and dedication to the CANCER to 5K program for the last 3 years!

• Arnetta Davis, Destiny Iorg and Andrea Hampton- for once again stepping up and being excellent "Assistant Coaches/Head Pace Leaders" even when your lives were pulling you in different directions, you still found the time for the Team. Your dedication and love is appreciated.

• Denny Cruz, Thomas Schmadtloch., Elizabeth Yap, and Leona Spencer for all your 6 months of dedication and hard work. You made the COLORS OF EMOTIONS Art Show and Fundraiser a huge success in bringing Awareness and Funds to the CANCER to 5K program and the ULMAN CANCER FUND.

• Katrina McGowan and Brian Satola of UCF for their constant and unwavering support of the CANCER to 5K program and for being the program's "Hands and Hearts" at the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults main office. We can't WAIT to welcome the FALL Howard County CANCER to 5K program to the TEAM CANCER to 5K Family!

• Jeff and Peter Stehm (& William Stehm and Adrian Threat) - THANK YOU for joining the Team this season and for being so generous in letting us run in Helen's Memory at Survivor Harbor 7 next weekend. I hope as you have trained with the Team and put on the miles, that you have had the same fun and positive experiences that Helen did while running with our group. My hope on race day is, as you run SH7, that you push hard and deep and embrace every mile you are covering - knowing that you are on the same roads that Helen was on - pushing hard and living STRONG - Giving CANCER "the bird" the entire way!

• The Team's Volunteer Pace Leaders and Race Day Sherpas! You guys are AMAZING! I hope that you know what a HUGE impact you have on our new runners. Your love for running, your enthusiasm for life and your endless and unwavering support has made this the most amazing team. THANK YOU for unselfishly donating your time, support and energy so that our Survivors can feel safe to push the limits of what they imagine is possible, mile after mile. YOU GUYS THE REASON THE MILES FLY BY AND THEIR ARE SMILES AT THE END OF EVERY WORKOUT!

THANK YOU: Rishi Bharathan - Linae Bohemne-Terrana - Janet Chow - Colleen Cannon -Denny Cruz - Arnetta Davis - Monica Datta - Amy Fabella - Ben Fabella - Catherine Goldman - Keri Hadley - Andrea Hampton - Jessica (Bosworth) Hawkins - Destiny Iorg -Rachael Schoenbaum - Esther Letsche - Yuneng Li - Shawn Newton - Tara O'Hare - Monica Ross - Katy Smallwood - Thomas Schmadtloch

• To our CT5K Runners/Survivors: THANK YOU for your trust, faith, courage and for taking a chance on the CANCER to 5K Program.

Alisa Brook, Cyndi Clark, Jessica Datta, Ginnie Degause (SC), Michelle Hastings (AZ), Erika Johnson, Brad Lunz (FL), Christina Noboa, Alyssa Petroff, Shari Shuman, Beth Sherring., Paula Sternberg, Cheryl Stucky, Jeff & Peter Stehm, and Jessica Tanner.

For all your HARD WORK over the last 12-weeks, my hope for each of you is that you cross the finish line with BIG SMILES and feeling SO PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED!

It has been an honor to run and train with all of you. Thank you for reminding me everyday what it means to LiveSTRONG!

I come to you all with the deepest gratitude for making my life fuller by sharing your lives with me and for indulging my love for running by having the courage to give it a try yourselves.

You may not find that you love to run, but I do hope that this experience has left you knowing deep in your heart, that you CAN DO ANYTHING you set out to do and that you can FACE ANY CHALLENGE with hope, courage and endurance. You already all LiveSTRONG everyday...now you'll just have a MEDAL on the wall that you can show your friends and family that says:

"Yeah, I had cancer but really cancer NEVER HAD ME! I LiveSTRONG!"

With Love and Respect - remember Life is GOOD! More COWBELL!

LiveSTRONG!
Holly