With your help, we CAN beat childhood cancer.

Over the past ten and a half months, many have asked, “Do you need anything?  How can I help?”  Well, I have something for you.  A way to help.  Not only for Sam, but for every child who suffers from childhood cancer.

My Uncle Tim, who lives in Mobile, Alabama and enjoys running in marathons has decided to run in a race to benefit St. Jude’s Research Hospital and he’s running in Sam’s honor.  This race, which will begin April 29th, begins in Memphis, Tennessee, home of St. Jude’s, and ends four days later in Mobile, Alabama.  Yep.  You heard that right.  A race that begins one day and ends four days later.  A four day marathon!  I’m tired just thinking about it!

As you know, Sam is being treated for brain cancer at Riley’s Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, but the protocol for his treatment has come directly from St. Jude’s.  The research that is conducted at this facility helps children stricken with childhood cancer all over the nation.  And for that, we are grateful.

Without funds, advances in research are slow.  And without research, finding a cure and successful treatment options for childhood cancer is delayed.   So how can you help?  No need to grab your running shoes and head down to Memphis for the race.  Instead, how about a donation to this wonderful cause?  All you need to do is pick up a pen and write the check.  Or, make a donation to this wonderful cause via Paypal.  Very simple.  Tim and Sam will take care of the hard work for you.  All you need to do is make a donation toward something that will really make a difference in the life of a child with cancer.

Below is the letter Uncle Tim sent out earlier this year explaining the race and his cause.  It also explains how your can make your donation to this wonderful event.  With your help, we CAN beat childhood cancer!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION!

Erica

Dear Friends and Family,

It is not my nature to be on the “asking” side of a fund raising campaign, in fact, I can honestly say that this is the first one I have ever been involved in.  Normally it’s me writing the checks, it seems!  However, this cause is special and has my full attention; hopefully you’ll join me in this worthy cause.

Most of us are familiar with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; if by chance you are not, I encourage you to visit its website at www.stjude.org.  St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers.  Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.

Unfortunately, too many of us are also familiar with a cild who is suffering from cancer or another catastrophic disease.  My niece and her husband, Erica & Jere Robinson, are living this nightmare right now as their younger son, Sam, battles brain cancer.  While Sam is not being treated at St. Jude, there are thousands of children just like him that need our help.

I will be participating in the inaugural St. Jude Memphis to Mobile Run and I will be running in honor of Sam.  This is a fund raising event for St. Jude and every dollar raised goes directly to the hospital.  In order to participate in this event I need to raise a minimum of $2,000, and I need your help to do it.  I actually hope to raise at least $4,200, which comes out to $10 a mile.  I am calling my own fund raising efforts the Sam-A-Thon and its slogan is “4 days, 420 miles, 1 great cause!” The run will start April 29th, 2010, and will begin in Memphis, running around the clock in relay teams; we will arrive in Mobile four days later on May 2nd.  The race will culminate at Battleship Park and conclude with an end-of-run celebration.  Runners will be divided into two teams and each team will run for eight hours before turning it over to the other team.  The “off” team will then rest for eight hours while the other team is running.  Run, rest, repeat for four days…sounds like fun!  I may have a catastrophic illness by the time the run is over!

Cancer is a terrible disease, even more so, it seems, when it invades the body of a child.  Please join me in this fight and in support of a wonderful hospital that is saving lives every single day.  We may not find a cure for cancer today, but maybe the cure will be found in time to save your child, your grandchild or another loved one.  No donation is too small and all are fully tax deductible and all are greatly appreciated.  Please consider writing the check today while you are thinking about it, and please make it out to St. Jude on The Bay.  You can mail your check to me, Tim Mahoney,  at:  3103 Riviere de Chien Loop East, Mobile, AL  36693.  If you prefer, you may also donate via PayPal by sending your payment to my account name:  Tim1717@comcast.net.  There are also some “corporate sponsorships” available with associated benefits.  If you are interested in learning more about those, please contact me.  So you can track my fund raising efforts, I’ll be updating my progress on my Facebook page.

With your help, we CAN beat cancer.  Sam and I are both counting on you!

Thank you!

Tim Mahoney

Tim1717@comcast.net