Why ?

Most who know me know that physical activity isn't exactly my idea of "fun". So what am I doing thinking that I can hike the canyon in the middle of summer.... surely I must be crazy.. maybe I am.

The idea of wanting to do something about cancer has been an itch since 1999 when Judy's dad C.L. Gilbert succumbed to Leukemia.

Last spring one of our friends - Joyce Piatt trained to hike the canyon and in the process raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society who fund research into all kinds of Blood Cancers. I was inspired.

I felt that this fund-raising would be a meaningful contribution to the world-wide efforts against cancer.

Monday, March 26, 2007

To hike or not to hike ?

Kennesaw Mountain, GA.

To hike or not to hike? That was the question I was faced with last Tuesday. You see, Tuesday was when I had to "re-commit" to this endeavor. "Re-committing" involved providing a credit card to LLS that they would charge in the event that I failed to raise $4,500.00 - LLS incurs a cost in going forward with the travel arrangements, etc and this ensures that I stay focussed on the training and fund-raising ( and don't bail at the last moment).

I had to pause for a moment to think this through given that I had raised only slightly over 25% last Tuesday. I am happy to report that I did indeed re-commit over two slices of Bella's Pizza and a Terrapin Pale Ale.

I am even happier to report that as of today, I have crossed the 50% mark. We have now raised $2,255.00 - Thank You all. The next target is the 75% mark of $3,375.00 by April 15th.

Speaking of April 15th, most of you are probably working on your taxes... I have to say you will feel a lot better next year this time if you donate to this cause... Apparently, research has proven that the good feeling generated is directly proportional to the amount of money you contribute :-) Ok, I made that up, but come on, we don't need research to prove that..... So, if you haven't already, go ahead and make an investment for the future.

Training Update:
We went back to Kennesaw Mountain last Saturday. The place has changed so much in the two weeks since we were there last. It was a beautiful day. No sweatshirts and/or jackets were required. It was dry and the day probably started out at 50F.

We made the Hike up and down Big Kennesaw and then up and down Little Kennesaw to Burnt Hickory. Our Hike leader and some of the mentors turned back mid way. They said they had to conserve energy because they were going to run a marathon the next day. Surely, you are nuts, was all I could think. In any case, we crossed Burnt Hickory road, hiked a little over a mile of rolling hills, and then climbed little Kennesaw and Big Kennesaw to get to the visitor center. The final climb was a pain just like it was two weeks ago. The sun was out and that didn't make it any easier. I did manage to get a few good spring pictures.

Next week, we head back to the Appalachian Trail. Our hike leader Sandy Geisel apparently liked the hike up Rocky Mountain so much that she has decided an encore is in order. This time, we will most likely go a lot farther than the Indian Grave Gap.

Power Of Your Money:
As you consider a donation to this cause, consider what your donation can do...

  • $ 200 - provides a Family Support Group Program for one year.

  • $ 100 - provides 3 patients access to an informational teleconference.

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Raffle

Every donor was entered into a raffle with one entry for every $10 donated. There are five prizes that can be one. Each donor can win no more than one prize. The first winner gets to choose any one of the five prizes, The second winner gets to choose any one of the remaining four and so on and so forth.

1. Flora

24" x 24" poster. all photographs by Albert Thomas. See larger image.
2. Sun and Water

24" x 24" poster. all photographs by Albert Thomas. See larger image.

3. Super Bowl I - XXX

A football lovers dream. Collectors set of DVDs of all the Superbowls from I to XXX by NFL films.

4. TaylorMade Golf Balls

A dozen TaylorMade Distance Plus golf balls. According to TaylorMade, these balls are "built to maximize distance and improve scoring for the committed player".

5. Maxfli Golf Balls

A dozen Maxfli Noodle Golf Balls.

... and the winners are

  1. Bill McGregor - Roswell, GA.
  2. Joyce Piatt - Mableton, GA.
  3. Frank Jakse - St. Louis, MO.
  4. Senthil Mukunthan - Indianapolis, IN.
  5. Push Venkat - Chicago, IL.

Options to spend money and feel good about it..

Help bridge the chasm by purchasing one or more of the following unique services. Some of these have a material cost component. This will not count as a tax-deductible contribution. Please send me an email if you would like to commission one of the following. Thank You.
1. Scan and Create Web Album from photos – 75 Photos.

Got a lot of pictures from your pre-digital days? I will scan those and create a slideshow CD. If needed, I can also upload them online and create a web album for you. I can scan up to 75 pictures. If you have more ( I hope you do), please see the next item.

Sponsorship Amount: $75 (entire amount is tax-deductible) Material Cost: $0

2. Scan and Create Web Album from photos – 150 Photos.

Got a lot of pictures from your pre-digital days? I will scan those and create a slideshow CD. If needed, I can also upload them online and create a web album for you. I can scan up to 150 pictures.

Sponsorship Amount: $100 (entire amount is tax-deductible) Material Cost: $0

3. Your own Photo Poster.

How about a photo mosaic of your favorite pictures and/or your favorite people. This will make a great gift for all those times when you have no clue what to buy (Hint: Mother’s Day is 5/13/07 and Father’s Day is 6/17/07).

  • Make poster from Digital images or Prints (up to 30 prints).
  • Poster Size - 24” x 24”.
  • Poster shown here is a sample. Click here for larger samples - Flora : Sun and Water.

Sponsorship Amount: $100 Material Cost: $30 (24” x 24” poster)

4. Painted Wall Mural.

Planning a birthday party? How about a set for the party? The mural will be painted on poster paper and affixed to the wall using push pins so you can remove after the event. No need to repaint.

  • Poster Size – 10’ x 8’.
  • The pictures shown here are from Ashley’s 6th Birthday. Click here to see larger photos of the mural - Photo1 : Photo 2.
  • My painting skills are pretty rudimentary (to say the least) and so we have to stick to cartoons. For your sake, please don’t ask me to paint someone you know
Sponsorship Amount: $200 (entire amount is tax-deductible) Material Cost: $0 ( I already bought way too much paper and paint)

5. Mondrian Coffee Table.

So what does a $500 coffee table look like? Like the dining table pictured here. This is a one of a kind, contemporary coffee table that is also a piece of art. The coffee table is hand-crafted and consists of a Piet Mondrian reproduction using acrylic on canvas, framed by wood with a metallic finish. I don’t have a picture of the coffee table itself, because it hasn’t been made yet. Click here for a larger photo of the dining table. Coffee table will be 48” x 36”.

Sponsorship Amount: $500 Material Cost: $100

6. Warhol at the Georgia Aquarium – Poster.

Warhol never visited the Georgia Aquarium. What if he had? What if he had seen the anemones at the Cold Water Quest? The poster was created using a photo I took of the anemones recently.

Sponsorship Amount: $100 Material Cost: $30 (24” x 24” poster)