For Me, For Her, For Him, and For Them

Throughout the year I eagerly sponsor friends who commit to events in order to fund raise for specific causes. I often have personal connections to the causes (Leukemia & Lymphoma, Susan G. Komen, Relay for Life), and sometimes I am just really thankful that I don't (American Heart Association, NAMI). Several years ago after my mother died, I was tremendously overwhelmed by the financial contributions made on my behalf by friends and family for the 40-mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Right now it's like this. There is a little newborn baby in Georgia named Caden Stanley, and he and his family need some help. He was born on August 3rd and immediately required open heart surgery. I have never met him or his parents, but I have read their blog, and I really sort of feel like the world needs a lot more people like them.

I have written several times about Meredith Atwood in my posts. Very recently she and her husband made the decision to dedicate their upcoming half-iron triathlon to Caden and his family and registered with yRun.org to help ease the financial strain of Caden's medical care. You can read Meredith's post here.

So I went to their yRun page and made a donation.

And then I wondered if there was something more that I could do. I had this idea that in addition to Meredith's fans and followers donating, maybe some of us could join in and dedicate an event as well. My events as you know are small, but so is Caden, and small can still be really amazing. So I asked her, and I emailed yRun.

She was awesome about it and totally open to anything that would help the Stanleys so that they could focus their time and energy on Caden and his sister, Jayci. Unfortunately the way yRun is organized, they are best able to pair one cause to one participant (or in the Atwoods case two).


But I kind of feel like doing it anyway. And who knows? Maybe some of her other friends and fans might too.


You all know that I've spent the past nine months refocusing my life and setting goals. For my 35th birthday, I have registered for the Veteran's Day 10K in Washington, DC. It will be my longest running race so far, and I hope to finish with the biggest sense of accomplishment since my big goal for 2012 is to do an olympic distance triathlon, which finishes with a 10K. I want to do it for myself, but I also want to do it for her because she inspires me and I love that she and her husband have made the choice to do this. And I want to do it for him because he is a sweet, and beautiful, and innocent little boy. And I want to do it for them because they need it, and if the tables were turned and one of my children needed similar care I would hope and pray that others would do it for me.

And so now I'm inviting you to be a part of this too. I won't know who you are, and I won't be able to thank you unless you tell me, but this, this is a good step. Whether it is $1, or $5, or $50, this is a good step.

Here is the link again if you want to donate.