Ok! Now the pressure is really on. Over the weekend I went ahead and signed up for the St. Jude - Memphis Marathon on December 4, 2010. And, I have done so as a St. Jude Hero. To learn more about this amazing facility, just click here on St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
What is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital you might ask? Well, for Memphians, if FedEx is the city's heartbeat, and the Tiger Basketball team is the pulse, and Blues Music and BBQ are the life blood, then St. Jude is unmistakeably the soul. It is a place where children with cancer come to get better, regardless of ability to pay or where they come from. Just like cancer is a non-discriminatory disease, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a non-discriminatory cancer fighter. Over the years some cancer recovery rates have actually flip-flopped. For instance a cancer that at one time had a 5% chance of recovery, now has a 95% chance of recovery. Absolutely miraculous. And, they share their cancer fighting successes with other hospitals, so even if your child or a child you know with cancer never comes to Memphis, chances are a child battling cancer in your community is benefiting from the research done right here in Memphis at St. Jude. And by the way, it takes about a million dollars a day, to keep the place going. That sounds to me much more daunting than me traipsing along 26.2 miles of Memphis scenery this coming December.
This will be my 4th year to run in this event; my 3rd time to run as a St. Jude Hero, and it will be my first attempt at the full marathon. I can tell you, there is nothing like watching the families, and the children themselves who line up along the route to cheer us on. There is an unbelievable power that comes to the runners, as they know they are the one's who in turn, are cheering on these bravest of kids and their families with funds raised as Heroes.
As I have run along the roads, I have had to fight back tears as I ran and thought of how blessed I have been to have two healthy boys who never had to deal with this disease. And I've had surges of energy as I approach a runner ahead of me, with a picture of a smiling wild eyed, bald child on the back of their t-shirt. When you see a beginning date, and an end date beneath that smiling face, it is impossible not to pick up the pace and ignore the pain of the run.
Running the 26.2 miles for me is going to be tough, I know that. Making a financial contribution in this rotten economy is tough, I know that too. But these kids are fighting for their lives, which seems much tougher than anything I've ever had to do. So, won't you consider contributing to help them in their fight? To make a contribution please click here: Tim Riley's St. Jude Hero Page.
Thank You!
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