Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Mutts for Marrow and Pasadena Relay for Life

Bill and I and the "Mutts for Marrow" team for the Pasadena Relay for Life will be at the Pasadena City College Stadium from Saturday, May 30, until Sunday morning.

We'd still love to have our local friends join us for all or part of the day. Our team has raised enough money so that we can "redistribute" the contributions to other team members. That means that you can get a free T-shirt, free breakfast-lunch-dinner and an endless supply of Starbuck's coffee, even if you haven't raised a dime. All you need to do is click here or on the "Relay for Life" logo to register for our team. (Pick the FREE team member option.)

We'll also be signing up potential donors for the National Bone Marrow Registry. If you know of any minorities or "mutts" between the ages of 18 and 60 who aren't on the registry, please encourage them to come by the Mutts for Marrow tent on Saturday.

Here's the schedule of events for Saturday:

8:00 am Registration and Breakfast
9:00 am Opening Ceremony
9:45 am Survivor Lap
10:00 am Caregiver Lap
10:15 am Parade of Teams
Noon Balloon Toss
12:30 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Frozen Tee Shirt Contest
5:00 pm Bra Contest
6:00 pm Dinner

AMAZING RACE

8:00 pm Miss Relay Contest
9:00 pm Luminarias Ceremony
9:30 pm Remember Walk

I haven't pushed hard for donations this time because so many of you were so generous for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's walk in September. But, if you'd like to donate to the American Cancer Society on behalf of the team (we're just shy of our $2,500 goal) or me (I'm $50 shy of my modest goal) or any team member who hasn't yet raised money, we'd all be appreciative. Just click here or on the "Relay for Life" logo on the left side of this blog.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

15 comments:

Nancy said...

Good luck at the Relay for Life. I'm going to try to help you make your individual goal I'm sorry that I won't be able to be out there with you. I'm trying to limit my sun exposure plus I have a relative's 50th birthday party this weekend.

You are truly an inspiration Susan. Keep up the good work!!! : )

Mari Mansourian said...

Yes you are an inspiration to us all Susan, too bad my weekend is looking too heavy, too many kids activities, good luck, I think the Relay For Life is going on in my modest town of Eagle Rock as well, we'll see if I can swing by there. :) Swing by my blog today, I have a beautiful story on there today from a friend.

Dennis Pyritz, RN said...

Great blog! I have added you to my blogroll - Cancer Blog Links at www.beingcancer.net. I am a transplant survivor also.
Take care, Dennis

Marcy said...

Good luck to you, Bill, and the Mutts for Marrow" team on reaching your goal. I hope the turn out is wonderful, and am saddened that I cannot also be there. Keep up the good work Susan and bless you and Bill both! xo~

Susan C said...

Nancy, Wish you could join us. That's really something that you still have to limit your sun exposure. Was just reading about how Ann's skin GvHD flares up immediately after sun exposure. Enjoy your relative's 50th.

Mari, Interesting that Eagle Rock's relay is on the same day as Pasadena's. I hear the 9 pm evening Luminaria is powerful and touching.

Some of my favorite restaurant's are in Eagle Rock. Your friend's story was amazingly touching. (Go visit Mari's blog, everyone.)

Hi Dennis, Thanks for visiting and adding me to your blogroll. Great to meet another transplant survivor. Now I'll go check you out.

Marcy, Would be fun to have you here with us if you weren't so doggone far away. I'm planning a trip to WV soon.

Baby Bird said...

Susan, you are the best team co-captain ever! Can't wait for Saturday. Thanks to your blog, we just reached our goal!
Bill

Margaret said...

Have fun. I'll be camping this weekend, but I'll be thinking of you and your team.

Ronni Gordon said...

Good luck at the Relay for Life. My daughter and I did one here in Holyoke, Mass. not too long ago and it was very moving and fun.

Sue G said...

I thought of you today, Susan. I went for my two week onc appointment to check my counts and discuss any side effect issues from the chemo protocol (28 days on, 14 days off). I go in every two weeks even if there are no issues just to monitor my counts. We always discuss the ones that are pertinent to my specific situation like BUN and creatinine (for kidney function), red and white blood and platelets, etc. I had never paid much attention to the many other counts as they were never discussed. I noticed my eosinophils for the very first time, even though they are included every time. My % was 3 and the actual eosinophil count was 0.1. It just made me think of how precarious life is and how I take certain things for granted that someone else may actually be praying for.

It just made me reflect on connection, need, blessings, all kinds of things. Mostly about the human faces of inhuman diseases and the tiniest threads that bind us all together.

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Anonymous said...

I'm sorry; tried to post a link from yahoo news about mixed race patients and marrow. Link was too long. But your cause is in the news.

Susan C said...

AH, Thanks for the link - great story. There was also a story in the WSJ yesterday, but I don't think their numbers (probabilities of finding a match)are accurate. I may have to put Dr. Leonard on the case.

Trish said...

Have a great time this weekend. We'll make it about 1/2 way there---for a "meet in the middle rally" in Fresno.

We wrangle everyone we can to get into the system to help those numbers look a little more possible---for the mutts and for everyone in need.

We'll be thinking of you and are glad you're marching along!

Nelle said...

I participated in our local Relay for Life last year. We had just lost my baby sister-in=law on June 8th and it was really hard for us. We made several lumenaries for her and another friend. That part of the ceremony was so beautiful and moving. I was celebrating my survivorship and mourning those who should have been their with me. I hope it's a beautiful day and I know you and Bill will be so happy that you did this.