Friday, June 28, 2013

The Choice is Yours

One of the things I love most about Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is that you get to pick where you want your donation to go. Have a specific cancer you want to fight? Want to support the travel fund, so that families can afford to make all the doctors appointments? How about supporting epidemology grants --  studying how, when and where diseases and cancers occur?

The choice is yours. You decide where your money goes. You choose how to help.

Here is an example of how ALSF is helping the medical community:

Project Title: Developing Immune-modulatory Strategies Against Primary and Metastatic Tumors in the Central Nervous System
Institution: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Grant Type: Innovation Award ($250,000)

"Your generous support for initiatives such as our research program is critical in a time when funding for childhood cancer is quite challenging."  - Alex Huang, MD, PhD

Dr. Huang and his team are embarking on a new research direction that is looking at using a childhood cancer patient's immune system to fight brain tumors, specifically medulloblastoma. Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children and despite aggressive therapy consisting of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation, survival in high-risk medulloblastoma patients is only about 60%.

Dr. Huang's novel idea is to study how brain tumors "fool" a child's immune system and how they can harness the power of the immune system to actually fight the brain tumors. Specifically, they're studying the effects of modulating VCAM-1, a novel surface target of metastatic and aggressive tumors on tumor propagation and the outcome of associated immune responses. They are testing whether targeting VCAM-1 activity in vivo can be efficacious in combating tumors that have found sanctuary in the central nervous system.

If successful, findings from the study will have a huge impact across a wide spectrum of scientific arenas, help to develop targeted therapy, and significantly improve upon the outcome and quality-of-life measures in children suffering from the devastating disease.

I ask you to help in whatever way you can, however you see fit, by donating here: http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/113151

Thursday, June 13, 2013

3.33 a Day

100 miles in a month sounds like a terrible idea. Injury provoking. Time consuming. Exhausting. Boring.

However, 100 miles in a month is only 3 1/3 miles a day. A little over an hour a day if you walk, or a half hour a day if you run (yes, you can walk or run the 100 miles). According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, you should be getting at least 2 ½ hours of moderate exercise a week anyway – 5 being the optimal goal. So why not get out there and do 100 miles with me? There is no cost to register! Alex's Lemonade Stand simply asks that you try to collect a pledge for every mile you cover in September.


I can’t think of a better way to end the Million Mile Run than with a half marathon.  So come join me on September 29 in Ocean City, NJ!

There are three events this day that will help you get your miles in. There is a 5K run/walk, a 10 mile walk, and a half marathon. If you’re putting in a 100 miles that month, might as well have a goal at the end, right?

The 5K is $20, the 10 mile walk is $40, and the half marathon is $50.  You can learn more about the event and register here. Can't make the big day? You can always compete virtually, and donate the "race fees" to Alex's Lemonade Stand!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Million Mile Run

You may remember last October I ran the Marine Corps Marathon with Alex’s Lemonade Stand in memory of my nephew Justin. Thanks to your love, support, and wallets, we raised $1,813! This money was used to help out families and children battling cancer, as well as provide grant funding to research facilities trying to end pediatric cancer.

This September, I’ll be taking on a different challenge. I have pledged to cover 100 miles in September, as a part of the Million Mile Run. This inaugural event, created by Alex’s Lemonade stand, is aimed at getting 10,000 runners and walkers to cover 100 miles, and raising $10 a mile. If the run is successful, Alex’s Lemonade Stand will raise $1 million in a month!

So help me with this challenge. Run with me, walk with me, help me cover my 100 miles – help me hit my goal of $1,000 during Childhood CancerAwareness Month.