If you are friends with me on Facebook I’m sure you may have noticed that I have posted a fair number of biking related entries over the past year or so. It has become apparent to me that I will no longer be able to retain my 18 year old body without a little work (o.k., maybe a lot of work for me). As I have begun to curb some of my poor health choices and start new healthier habits, I have tried to participate in both fun and meaningful events relevant to my health and competitive spirit. This year I have decided to join my co-workers at The Bank of Holland in the annual Relay for Life event on June 10th-11th at West Ottawa High School. If you aren’t familiar with the Relay for Life, it is a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society that helps to fund research treatments for the wide array of cancers that we know about today. Each team commits to having someone on the track running or walking laps for 24 hours straight. Each member of the team then raises funds based on their participation.
Again, if you follow my Facebook postings, you will notice biking, not running entries. I’m not a very active runner. But my motivation to participate in this event stems from a desire to somehow, someway provide encouragement to two people important to me who are currently battling their own cancers, my cousin, Lisa Vander Zwaag, and my friend, Tim VanVliet. Both Lisa and Tim are runners and I know they miss it dearly as they are now using their energy to fight the disease. I am going to run for an hour in honor of them. Notice I didn’t say my goal was, or I hope to, I said I am going to. I’m not going to give myself a choice in accomplishing the task just as Lisa and Tim don’t have a choice in dealing with cancer. My hope is that my accomplishment will provide them encouragement when treatments wear them out and make them feel miserable.
You are receiving this message from me because I would like you to consider contributing to my effort by making a donation to the American Cancer Society through this link: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11GL?px=20297109&pg=personal&fr_id=30096
Please take a moment to consider this request and if you might be able to contribute $10; $25; $50 or even more to my effort of encouragement. I would love to raise a thousand dollars toward this event. The more cures we can help fund through our donations, the more we all win when someone we love gets that news from their doctor.
Your Friend,
Joe Lampen
joseph lampen 