As the new year rolls around, we look back and reflect on everything that happened in 2009, and realize it’s been one wild ride! Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to stay very positive throughout it all. So we’d like to wish everyone the very best this coming year, a very healthy and happy 2010. Eric posted his latest video #38 last night, here’s the link if you’d like to watch it. http://www.facebook.com/l/
LIFE is a 100% non-profit organization that now has the ability to give the money raised to a local, needy individual affected by cancer, aresearch lab, and even scholarships. The idea is that it will be given to a visible cause, a real person or family. All of the money we raise is being placed into an account, and right now the total is at $4,128.61. The money will soon be placed into a mutual fund where it can sustain itself by growing on its own, all while we are still receiving more donations. This way the organization will continue to give to people that need it years and years from now. Please consider being apart of this special cause in the coming year!
On Wednesday of this week, Eric went to another check-up appointment in Milwaukee, and everything still seems to be going ok. It seems likely that Dr. Bredison will perform another DLI (Donor Lymphocyte Infusion) procedure very soon, one 5 times as strong as the last one, to help induce Graft vs. Host Disease in hopes that a Graft vs. Leukemia effect also develops to fight off the cancer cells that are still there. We will keep you posted! In the meantime, Eric will be making the move back to Milwaukee and eagerly returning to work at Harley Davidson! I am so glad to see him going back to a bit normalcy, go Eric!
On February 6th, in an effort to spread awareness even further of LIFE’s mission, I will be racing in the Rocky Raccoon 100 – a 100 mile marathon trail race through the woods of Texas. It is a solo effort to be completed in one stretch. I’ll be wearing my LIFE jersey and racing alongside Chris Clausen, the same guy that was on Team LIFE triathlon relay with me back in August. We are self-funded, and we’ve been training hard through the cold and the snow to get enough miles on their legs to withstand the grueling distance. Wish us luck!
On December 21, Eric, Mike, Mary, and Larry Hisle visited Lindsay Draeger’s elementary class in Pewaukee, WI. The children raised atotal of $800 for LIFE, sang us Christmas carols, and made us cookies. Eric read to them How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It was a very inspiring to watch, there are videos of the entire experience on our YouTube channel at http://www.facebook.com/l/
On December 30, Milwaukee Brewer Pitcher All-Star, MVP, and Olympic Gold Medalist Ben Sheets chatted with Eric over Facebook, signed our guestbook, and donated $250 to the organization (and yes it was the real Ben Sheets). Shortly after, the Curtis Waltz family, donated $500! We have gotten a ton of support through donations these past two weeks, it has been absolutely incredible. The day is coming when we will have enough to pay it forward in a really big way. It is going to be an awesome sight, thank you for helping to make this possible!
Happy New Year again!
Love,
The McLean Family