In this years Marine Corps Marathon (on 25 October, 2009), a friend of mine is running for a cause greater than himself. While I can write a post about the race and his reasons for running, I thought I would share with you his thoughts directly:

I’m an American Cancer Society Charity Runner athlete!

Cancer is personal to all of us. It may not be now, I hope it never will be, but unfortunately it will be. At some point, it will reach into your life, and affect you in profound ways. For some of us, that means being diagnosed with cancer, and for others it will be someone close to you: a spouse, a parent, a sibling, or even a close friend.

My mom, Fran King, was one of these people, as is my aunt Denise King. My mom was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in 1999, and a year later it went into remission, only to metastasize to her liver, lungs, and bones less than a year after that. She lived with breast cancer for eight years, and while she passed away in 2007, she was an inspiration to others in the struggle against cancer, and continues to be an inspiration to me as I pursue my goals, including continuing to support the American Cancer Society. ACS was important to my mom – she was a co-captain of a team for the Relay for Life annual events in our area. My aunt Dee is a breast cancer survivor and I am also running in her honor.

This is the third consecutive year I’ve dedicated my training and race efforts to support the American Cancer Society. Fighting cancer will make every mile more meaningful. Help me in supporting advocacy and research for this truly worthy cause and organization. Advances are made in basic science research and cancer research but they are not possible without funding.

For me, it all boils down to hope, and putting one foot in front of another. This is my third marathon total, and my third marathon as a charity runner for the American Cancer Society. I run for those who cannot, and together we can make a difference.

Together, we are making a difference.

Like endurance race aspirations, the American Cancer Society is also attacking difficult goals, including preventing cancer and diminishing suffering from the disease. Like me, the Society is putting in a great deal of effort to make these difficult goals possible and to save more lives. I am going to meet my goal of finishing this race to help them meet their goal to end cancer.

Please support me.

In addition to the finishing the race, I am striving to raise money in support of the American Cancer Society. I know that many of you already give to several organizations, maybe even the fight against cancer, so please know that any contribution would be greatly appreciated. Every dollar truly makes a difference. Donating online is easy, and you can donate now. Please help me honor the people who have been touched by cancer, and to bring hope to those currently facing the disease.

If you are able to, please make a donation to help Andrew reach his $1,000.00 goal. Doing my part, I am donating the ad revenue received this month towards his goal. What can you provide to help those who are suffering from this international ailment?  To make a donation, please visit his donation page.

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