Hey Everyone,
We’re doing great with our fundraising for LLS to support cancer research to find a cure! About two weeks ago we were at just 29% of our $5,648 goal. Today, with checks in hand, we are at about 70% with $3,980! Woohoo!! Big thank you to everyone that has donated for the cause. I appreciate the help more than I can say!
I attached the updated Honoree list and wanted to share a little about who we are adding. The first is from friend Haley Wilkins for whom we added Terry Puffer, her father. She wrote me this: “Thanks so much, Ernie. He has a strange form of Lymphoma that shows up on your face/forehead. He went through a rigid chemo treatment a few months ago and was only supposed to get followup treatments every 6 months. He’s about to go through another back to back set of chemo. – He’ll be OK – it’s now something we just have to live with unfortunately. It could be worse. :) ” She says “It could be worse,” with a smile! Haley is one tough girl which says a lot about her Dad.
And this very special email from friend Ruthellen: “Run Ernie Run! We are grateful that Ernie is running for those who cannot. We have a very dear friend, actually my husband’s best friend of 38 years, Ken Kujawa, who in 1991 was diagnosed with a very rare form of Leukemia. Ken did a lot of research and went to M.D. Anderson in Houston for treatment. He has under gone a bone marrow transplant in early 1993. Then later a T-cell transplant from the same donor in England. Though he has had setbacks his one wish was to see his only son, Brian, grow-up. First Ken wanted 10 year old Brian to get thru Junior High. He saw that. Then he wanted to see our God-son Brian graduate from High School. He saw that in 2001. Then he wanted to see Brian graduate from college, he did that in 2005 from Wittenberg University! Now this year, in May, we all got to see Dr. Brian Kujawa, Graduate from the U.S. Military Medical School in Washington ,D.C. Ken is with us and that is why we are so grateful. Now Run Ernie Run for those who cannot. It is an honor to donate. Thank you, Ruthellen & Don Ondrus” Thank you Ruthellen. And thank you Ken for fighting on and thank you Brian for your hard work and dedication to becoming a military doctor!
Finally, I’m adding my friend Melonie Dickey. I had lunch with her yesterday and she told me she was diagnosed about a week ago with Basal Cell Carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, and has already had a couple of procedures. Teary eyed, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be added to the Honoree list because she felt there were others with more serious issues…and that’s exactly why I’m adding her to the list. Melonie has a good heart and always wants to put others before herself and I admire that. Melonie, you are an inspiration to me, thank you!
Melonie, Ken, Terry, all of our Honorees…all 127 of them, are my inspiration to run a marathon and then a double marathon! It’s the least I can do…we never know how we make a difference.
We have just 3 days to go until the Columbus Marathon and we need to raise just over $1,600 still. Please consider a donation to support the cause and find a cure for cancer. You can donate safely and securely online at: http://pages.teamintraining.org/noh/columbus10/ernestalewis
If you prefer to donate off-line, please make your check payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and mail it to me at: 3936 Elmhurst Road, Toledo, OH 43613.
Thanks so much for your help in Fighting the Good Fight!
Ernie
P.S. Instead of doing the RWS Double Marathon in Peninsula OH, I’m doing it right here at home on November 14th! More information to follow!