Relay for Life

Last month, I posted the sad news that my friend Maria's daughter, Zoe, passed away 5 days after her 16th birthday from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.  Next Saturday, August 25, I and many friends and family of Zoe's will be participating in Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society on Team Zoe.  Each participant pledges to raise a certain amount and all the money raises goes to the American Cancer Society to help fund research to eradicate cancer once and for all.

Zoe's 9-year-old brother, Teo, is also going to walk in the Relay for his courageous sister.  Teo started his fundraising yesterday morning with a goal of $100 and by the time I first saw the posting on facebook, two hours had passed and he had already reached his goal.  I donated anyway because I wanted to support Teo's efforts and help him become one of the top fundraisers for the Relay.  I spread the word through my facebook page and also posted a thread on an online fitness board I've been going to for years.  I hate asking people for money, even for a good cause, but this one was special and I wanted to help Teo all I could.  I was very touched by all the responses from online friends, most of whom I had never met.  But that didn't stop them from showing their support for a 9-year-old boy they had never met either but who touched them for what he was doing for the sister he loved and misses so much.  Thanks to Laura, Nancy, Harper, Debbie, Shannon, Julie and many other friends and family, as of today, Teo was the #4 individual fundraiser of the Relay and Team Zoe was #1.

Check out Teo's fundraising page and feel free to support with a tax-deductible donation if you're inclined and/or your thoughts and prayers for Teo and Zoe's family as they channel their grief and missing Zoe into something positive that could someday prevent other families from going through what they did.  As Teo says, "I don't want anyone else to experience cancer!"  This is a very special 9-year-old indeed.