Thank You, Mardi Gras Marathon Team!

If you are a member of TNT Richmond’s, TNT Virginia’s, or TNT Any Chapter’s team for the Mardi Gras Marathon or Half Marathon this weekend, this thank you is for you!

You are headed to the Big Easy for your race. But nothing about what you have done, or the people that you are doing it for, is easy.

It’s not easy to ask people again and again to donate, even to such a great cause.

It’s not easy to raise thousands of dollars at any time, but especially not in a down economy that seems to have no end in sight.

It’s not easy to train hundreds of miles, to get up early on Saturday every week, and run and walk miles – often in cold or wet weather.

It’s not easy to do a marathon or a half marathon, at any speed.

And it is certainly not easy to do what the people you are doing this for have done – to go through cancer treatments. And some of these people will die or have died from cancer, and if you have ever seen anyone go through this, you know it is incredibly difficult and painful.

The ultimate goal of all your hard work and sacrifice is more cures, better cures, and less awful cures. Just in my lifetime, I have seen a tremendous difference in cancer survivorship, and it continues to improve. Imagine the day – and it will come – when nearly all cancers are curable and you can say “I helped make that possible!” Can you imagine how that will feel? Maybe no one will ever call cancer the “Big Easy,” but someday people will not dread it the way we always have, because it will be curable most of the time.

I, and all cancer survivors, thank you so much for all you have done for this cause. Now, even though this is all serious stuff, go have fun! After all, you will be in New Orleans, and I would guess they still have Super Bowl parties going on! Have a great race, and thank you so much for your dedication to this cause.

GO TEAM!