My Honorees for Seattle

NOTE: I am keeping this post near the top, because these people (and pets) are one of the big reasons that I do this.

Every time I do a race for Team in Training, I am raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society so that their mission of curing blood cancers can be reached. In addition, I am celebrating my own great fortune for not only surviving cancer but returning to good health, and I am honoring those who have had to battle cancer. For Seattle, I will write these names on my marathon shirt, and will do my best to honor each and every one of them when I race the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half-Marathon. I will keep adding to the list as people make donations and ask me to write additional names of their loved ones.

If you want me to run in honor or memory of a loved one with any type of cancer, please go to my TNT web page, make a donation in any amount, and email their name to me.

First, there are seven special honorees for 2010 who are currently dealing with cancer:

Ann Ritter (my sister, relapsed with breast cancer)
Ed Stone (teammate and four time cancer survivor, currently battling melanoma)
Jordan Shahbaz (two year old boy with leukemia)
Madelyne Blanton (eight year old girl with leukemia)
Ashley Lefkow (four year old girl with leukemia)
Elayne Minich (facing metastisized breast cancer once again)
David Williams (recently diagnosed with lymphoma)

Next, with my race, I pay special honors to the memory my grandfather, Walter L. Lepson, who died of cancer 51 years before the date of the Seattle Marathon: June 26, 1959.

Then, there are our Team Patient Honorees, all such inspirations to our entire team: Emma McFeeley, Nicki Patton, Kristi Garstang, Paul Zamecnic, Katie Powell, Rob Larsen

Next, there are other honorees who have bravely faced cancer. Some are fortunate like me, and are survivors. Others fought the good fight but did not have a lucky outcome. May they rest in peace.

In Memory of: Alan Bernstein, Bob Caggiano, Blake Wayland, Joe Boisvert, W. Scott Bivans, Linda Cox, Scott Scupien, Manual Toombs, Katherine Toombs, Marilyn Libman, Dax Locke, Mark Duva, Bob Dorsey, Bob Knapp, Charles Considine, Kate Homan, Yolanda Casim, Frank Raflo, Eileen Jones, Kenwyn Dougherty, Carol O'Neil

In Honor of: Christine Grudinskas, Chris Ritter, Janice Wedwick, Bev Kuhlman, Rhoda Ritter, Kayla Kuhn, Nancy Nelson, Faith Eury, Pam Pollard, Blair Collins, Robin Yoder, Mary Beth Gibson, Michael Marmion, Julie Westcott, Kerry Allor, Linda Silver, Rita Conkle, Tomas Nichols, Linda Hurt, Nancy Blevins, Frances Koons, Warren Short, Samantha Fisher, Craig Sandras, Ed Moore, Cade Howard, Matthew Lozada, Steve Hauck, Pat McAuliffe, Karen Lane, Lillian Kerby, Bill Scherling, Linda Schmidt, Gerry Adamson, Joe Zingone, Pam Sudz, Leona Held, Meighan Daily, David D'Arville, Lanie Evans, Barbara Moriarty, Debbie Cray, Joseph Durante, Jordan Greer, Mindy Fast, Barbara Marx

Finally, there are beloved pets lost to or ill from cancer that I have been asked to remember:

Tyra, Zack, Catherine, Amber, Rocky, Copper