The Hope Corps Walk On

Due to slow internet connection please go HERE to see the pictures...

Any ways... Last night was Relay for Life in Des Moines Washington. I would have done anything to be there for it - but I am where I need to be ... which is here with my Family.

Mom had a good day yesterday - there were a lot of people around and she enjoyed the company very much.

Today we celebrate her Birthday with a picnic ... eventhough her Birthday is tomorrow technically.

Thanks Hope Corps for walking for Mom... she appreciates every step!

Lots of People Lots of Love

Every single one of Mom's siblings, her Grandchildren and Children were by her side at one point in time or another today.

She had a good day - awake, talking and happy.

She did sleep a little, but I think she'll sleep nice and hard tonight.

Thanks for all the visits....

Pictures of Highline Relay & The Hope Corps to come tomorrow!

night everyone,
a

Let the Fundraising Begin!

Dear Family and Friends,

Mom has had a great year, and continues to fight her Cancer; hard. Her Two year mark is on June 11th and with summer just around the corner and it’s almost time for the American Cancer Society’s Highline Relay for Life. You may remember hearing from me the past couple summers, as I became passionately involved in this event to honor my Mom by raising money and awareness to help make a difference in the fight against cancer. Thanks to all of your generous support our team The Hope Corps was able to raise $4,500 in 2010!!!

This year I am volunteering on the committee that plans the relay as well as participating as a team captian for the Hope Corps Team to participate in the 18 hour relay on June 11th. My fundraising goal of $1,000 for this year’s Relay is even greater than my goal last year, and I really need your help to meet this challenge.

Being 1,500 miles away from my Mom is hard, and my way to help is to Relay in her honor.
I fight for my Mom and with my Mom by raising money for the American Cancer Society!

I can’t reach my goal without you!
I am asking you to please consider a donation to help me reach my fundraising goal for Relay for Life. If you’re able to donate $1 or $100; every penny counts!
The online donation page can be found here
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11GW?px=18759155&pg=personal&fr_id=33977

If you have a loved one who has or is fighting cancer, please send me thier name and what type of cancer - I would love nothing more than to light a luminaria on the track for their memory or honor.

Thank you so much for your continued love and support, You are the best!Love, Abby

Team Hope Corps!

Here we go walking AGAIN!
Team Hope Corps 2011 has officially found it's way into the Relay database....

Sign up TODAY!

Click HERE.

Bragging Rights

Last night at the Relay committee meeting I learned about our amazing success as a Relay Team in 2010!

The Hope Corps is #6 in the top #10 fundraising teams for Highline Relay for Life. There were 35 teams and we were #6!!! We raised $3,665!!!!

The Hope Corps has many amazing Members, but one in particular, raised $1,425 all by her lonesome... Lets give it up for Becky Marchitto who has earned her "Grand Club Tee shirt"

We will be honored at the 2011 Relay for Life Kick off party at Mt. Rainier High School Theater at 7pm. Because we rock like that.

However, we couldn't have done it with out you ... the supporters!
Thank you ... Thank you... THANK YOU!!!

Also, Mom is doing good. She's been taking the week off to heal up... and feeling better, Much better. She has also moved in with Kathy for the winter to keep on the mend!

Thanks again,

Love Me.

Down with Chemo!

We wish we could cure Mom's cancer with hugs... not Drugs... but she's going in on Friday for her last round of maintenance chemotherapy before her next PET scan.
We're hoping the Chemo doesn't make her super sick like it did last time, and really hoping that the pneumonia holds off all together.

In Relay news... Mom had 2 teams walking to support her and they both made "BRONZE" fundraising status! I recieved an e-mail today from the ACS letting us know that The Hope Corps "Final" total fundraising was $3,653.16! Way to Rock the fundraising! Thank you all so much for your support for BOTH teams! We're so blessed!

-a

A Few More

Becky just sent me her copies of her pictures and I am so glad she did! They turned out pretty great!

I realize now that I didn't get one of the four of us together... again... glad Becky did!

So glad these ladies were able to make it!

This picture is popping up all over the web... We're FAMOUS!

All my Love,

A

Relay for Life 2010

(a close up of Mom's survivor Metal)

To sum up Relay for Life 2010 in 1 sentance; Dr. Gordy Klatt would be proud.

Dr. Gordy Klatt started Relay for Life 26 years ago by asking people to support him in his fundrasing efforts for the American Cancer Society and then by walking for 24 hours at a track in Tacoma, Washington.

The Hope Corps had a member of our team on the track the entire Relay; and we raised $3,628 for cancer research for the American Cancer Society. We were one of 3 teams (maybe) who had someone on the track for the entire event!

On with the photos;

Here's Mom infront of our campsite! We did not win the "best decorated" award, but we were the best decorated campsite there, I don't care what anyone says.

Here's me and my Momma at Relay!

And here's our AMAZING bake sale - we raised $97 between selling our goodies and selling a few sets of lap beads to walkers. We initally set up to do lap beads for our team alone, but then people wanted to buy them... so we sold them! We might have to consider this as a fundraiser next year; It was much less labor intensive than the bake sale was!

After a very legnthy opening ceremony, Mom, Brenda, Kathy and I took the track to walk the survivor lap together. It was a pretty emotional lap, a couple of us were fighting back tears and a couple of us let them flow. A year ago when Mom was diagnosed she set the goal to walk in the survivor lap at Relay with me the following year. It was so great to walk beside her, it was the reward for all that she (we) has accomplished this year!

These two are my favorite pictures of the day... One from infront and one from behind, walking hand in hand with my Mom and Aunts during the survivor lap is not something I will forget soon.

The more laps we walked, the less the tears flowed.

After the survivor lap I stayed on the track for a mile or so till someone else was ready for the take over.

After Mom's first Mile I took a few photos of her in her beautiful Purple shirt and her amazing survivor metal! I love that they celebrate survivors in that way!

We weren't really sure she would be able to rock the first lap... but she ended up walking 5 miles over Saturday and Sunday!

Here's Brenda and Kathy taking over walking. They were getting their lap beads ready to go!

And then Becky and Kerri.

And Jerry, Kat, Tim and MaryJane.

My Boss stopped by for a lap and brought cookies for the bake sale too! I have such an amazing team of support out here, I couldn't ask for more!

Mom rested her feet a little bit, and of course enjoyed the sunshine a little bit! It was her vacation after all!

The Bodle Gals stopped by in the evening so we could all eat some dinner while they walked 4 miles or so - relief walkers are life savers!

Mom and Kathy turned on all the electric candles for the luminaria lap.

This is Mom's Luminaria.

We had over 50 Luminaria for our team!

The Luminaria actually were weighed down by cans of food that we donated to the White Center food bank. Highline Relay donated over 600 cans of food!

Then the Bodle gals turned the reigns back over to us for the evening!

We did attend the luminaria ceremony... LONGEST CEREMONY EVER.

I think my imput will be best used to keep all the ceremonial things "short and sweet"

But all the luminarias remembering our loved ones were so pretty lined up around the track.

As tradition... They spelt out HOPE and CURE in luminaria bags.

I didn't get a good picture of Megan and I walking together, but we took over for the next couple hours till Alex and Lindsey showed up and Tacy woke up. They took over from 2am till about 5am - relief walkers save your life!

\
Then I took over for the next two hours or so and pounded out some laps.

Brenda, Kathy and Mom walked the last few laps with me... here I am... finishing the last lap of mile #20! My body hurts so bad, but I didn't have any blisters this year!

And here's Mom finishing her last lap of Mile #5... She rocked it!

Brenda walked 10... Kathy walked 11.... We had some dedicated walkers this year for sure!

They decided it was a pretty great way to celebrate their birthdays!

Mom celebrated her birthday with Brenda (her birthday too) by walking in Relay and then that evening we went out to dinner at the Space Needle!

My heart is swelled as much as my ankles are... with pride though, not fluid.

I am exhausted, but happy and ready to go again next year where my Mom will walk in the survivor lap again!

Because of Relay we have research because of research we have chemo, because of chemo we have loved ones who beat this nasty disease!

All my Love, Abby

Sneak Peek

Sorry I haven't sat down to blog yet... I have been SUUUPER busy since the day of Relay and super busy enjoying every second of having visitors.

To hold you over till I get my butt in gear...

Here's two links to a couple photo albums from our time in Seattle

The First one is to the B Town Blog they're local bloggers, and you'll see quite a few Hope Corps pictures in there! Woot!

The Second Link is to my Facebook album where I uploaded a bunch of the pictures.

Enjoy!

Post Relay Thoughts

I am 100% exhausted. I am ready to go to bed and with that I promise a longer more extensive post later - maybe that's what I'll occupy my time with when Mom flys out on Tuesday.

For now, a few snippits that make me proud and make me smile.

- Mom met her goal and walked with the three of us in the survivor lap Saturday afternoon. (Pictured above). It was an emotional lap but a lap that felt really good to be able to walk it hand in hand.

- The Hope Corps officially had a walker on the track at all times from beginning to end. I am so proud of my team! There were only 2 or 3 teams that accomplished this feat.

- Mom walked 5 miles, Eric walked 7, Brenda walked 10, Kathy walked 11 and I walked 20 over the course of Relay. Our dogs are barking!

- We got totally robbed in the campsite decorating competition... a co-chair won, with minimal halloween decorations... we had over 30 birthday balloons onsite... just saying, Robbed.

-Celebrating Mom's birthday (and Brenda's) today with Brenda and Kathy at the Space Needle was a wonderful idea.

I am off to bed, I ache everywhere! I think Dr. Gordy Klatt would be very proud of us too!

Bronze Team Fundraising Club

Okay, So I knew The Hope Corps was a good group of people, but tonight we recieved an award from the American Cancer Society which teams recieve when they raise at least $1,500 (With an average of $125 per team member).

We are a Bronze Team! The best part of this news is that we're a mere $85 dollars from reaching silver! If you have it in you to help us make our goal PLEASE, donate to our cause. Just click here to donate to our team, or click on any one of our profile's individually to donate to a teammate.

Our Very own Becky Marchitto is just $65 away from reaching "The Grand Club" which is a pretty awesome honor one recieved when they hit $1,000!

Just a little update from the meeting, I'm on cloud nine!

My Mom's coming tomorrow! Yay!

Statistics!

I just wanted to share a few Statistics of the Hope Corps for you...

There are 14 teammembers

We've (so far) Raised $2,415!

We've had 45 different people donate to our cause.

I'm so impressed.

5 Days... and counting!

Our fundraising goal [of $1,000] has been reached, surpassed and actually left in the dust all together. We currently sit at #3 in the top 5 fundraisers for Highline Relay at $2,040! We’re only $40 behind #2 !

Oh and I have to mention that our very own Becky Marchitto is #2 overall in the fundraising list trailing the leader by only $30!

Here’s the Schedule for Relay
Set up Beings at 1pm.
I will be there at 1pm.
The Relay beings at 3pm with a survivor lap.
You are welcome to arrive anywhere between 1pm and 10pm.

The last and most important thing I will leave you with… Directions to Highline Stadium…
The “official” address is 430 156th St Burien, WA 98148 so if you wish to Google map it from your location… please do… but here’s some general directions.

-On Hwy 99 {509} to Burien take the S 160th Exit
- Turn Right at 160th St
-Turn Right at 1st Ave S
-Take the first Right onto S 156th Street
- Take the second Left onto 4th Ave S.
- Destination will be on the Left

I imagine there will be signs pointing to Relay once you get close!

Call me if you need direction to the campsite when you get there!

If I get more information at the meeting I will dispatch it to you!
See you Saturday!
Abby
** PS: Don’t wear purple unless you’re a survivor or people will assume you’re a survivor… Just a heads up !

PPS: More importantly... only 3 days till my Mom and Aunts get here!!!!!!

Thanks Be To GOD!

Look at this... 2 Happy Dance posts with in weeks of each other! What a wonderful feeling!

Mom's Biopsies came back from the lab CANCER FREE!

She's going to do just a little bit more "Maintenance Chemotherapy" to keep things away, but that's not until after her trip to Seattle NEXT WEEK!

We've got a lot to be thankful for, and couldn't have done it with out your support!

Humbly, I thank you all.

Another big THANK YOU goes out to

Carol Ervin

for her donation to relay!

We're floating on cloud 9!!!

Have a Happy Weekend!

Survivors Wanted

If you've ever heard the words... "You Have Cancer" you're a Survivor!

Relay for Life is about many things, but most importantly it's about celebrating the lives of the people who have fought the battle against Cancer, both young and old.

My Mom is gearing up to proudly walk the survivor lap, wearing her purple shirt and walking around the track with others who have walked a similar path. She will be applauded as she walks, and I'm sure between Brenda, Kathy & Myself there won't be a dry eye on Team Hope Corps.

It's a touching moment... and we want to celebrate you!

If you're a survivor in the Highline/Burien/Seattle/Des Moines area Please, let me know... I would love to get you involved and celebrate you!

All my Love,

Abby

Thank you!

Another Thank you to go out to a few people...

Aileen Krohn

and

Kay & Scott Warnock

Thank you SO much for your support of Relay for Life & the ACS!

And my Mom :)!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road!

Tacy brought this little treat back for me from Lincoln City Oregon. Apparently Lincoln City is getting ready for their Relay for Life and "There's no place like Hope" is their theme this year!

I squealed like a giddy little 4th grader when I saw that this t-shirt would compliment my ruby converse slippers like perfectly!

And the best part? The sponsor on the sleeve is the casino and resort Tacy and I stayed at during the Laserfiche conference of 2007 - a wonderful week where we became very close!

Love, -A

The Origin...

I was thinking about the origin of Relay for Life and realized that I don’t even really know how Relay got it’s start.
So like the 21st Century woman I am… I Googled it!
I found this article on the American Cancer Society Website and it made me smile, how wonderful that one man started all of this. Thanks Gordy Klatt – for showing us how to be hopeful, and how to make a difference!

“One person can make a difference. Nowhere is that more evident than with the story of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life, which began in Tacoma, Washington, as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.
In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed—running marathons.
In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt's friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course.
While he circled the track those 24 hours, he thought about how others could take part. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer. Months later he pulled together a small committee to plan the first team relay event known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.
In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event on the track at the colorful, historical Stadium Bowl and raised $33,000. An indescribable spirit prevailed at the track and in the tents that dotted the infield.”

Counting Down...

Mom is going in for her Bronchoscopy on Wednesday - we're relieved to have a date set and looking forward to it being over allready. She'll head down to Sioux Falls in the morning and the procedure is at 12:45pm. Prayers are appreciated !

On the Relay for Life front... We're at $1,610 dollars raised which is far beyond anything I imagined... I'm GLOWING with pride for our team.

Just a few reminders... if you'd like to donate to our cause please click here.

If you'd like to donate supplies *birthday decorations, glow sticks, water... etc... let me know

If you would like for us to light a luminaria in honor of, or in memory of a loved one who has or has had cancer please PLEASE let me know, I would Love to light one for them!

I am working on the details now, collecting birthday decorations, and food and all sorts of other goodies for the walk. I'm so very excited to have Brenda and Kathy and Mom along for the ride!

Here's to couting down!

All my Love,
-a

We Hit Our GOAL!!!!!!!!!

The Hope Corps has officially raised $1,120 in the fight against cancer for the American Cancer Society! I'm so Proud.

In that same note, a Big thanks to
Mark & Tammy Ohnstad

for their donation today...

and

Ron Marchitto

for his donation today which put us over the top of our goal!

Wow... A million thanks... thanks... thanks :)

-a