an email came my way...

from Aaron Bundschuh, a best friend of mine since high school. Some of my family and friends reading this know Aaron. He is running in the LIVESTRONG Challenge here in Austin. We are helping Aaron by making a donation and supporting his challenge. A few of our own family members have died of cancer, or currently have cancer and are fighting every day to keep it under control to stay alive. Here is Aaron's email...


Greetings,

Last month I got a wake-up call that couldn’t be ignored. My cousin, Cody Gonya, had his life turned upside-down when he was diagnosed with cancer. Cody has just begun an aggressive chemotherapy program and is in the fight of his life. And he's only 16.

It’s such a helpless feeling, watching a member of your family battle this disease, especially when you are separated by such a distance as we are. So, I decided to take action. I will be participating in the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin this October, running a 5K and raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. While I am only required to raise $50, my personal goal is $2,000.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation was founded to provide practical information and tools for people living with cancer. Their mission is to inspire and empower people affected by cancer through advocacy, public health and research programs.

I’m doing this because one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. I’m doing this for my cousin, who has become one of those three. I’m doing this because I’m grateful to have two healthy children and I don’t want to take that for granted. Mostly, though, I’m doing this because I can.

Please support me by making a donation to this worthy cause. You can donate online at my Livestrong Challenge page. Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated. Please forward this to all of your friends and family members.

Thank you for your friendship and support.

With love,
Aaron


If you are interested in donating to help Aaron reach his personal goal of $2,000, please click on this link: Aaron Bundschuh's Livestrong Challenge page. THERE IS NO MINIMUM DONATION AMOUNT SO EVEN $5.00 WILL HELP! You can pay with a debit or credit card at the site or print out a form to mail a payment.

Below is more info about what the LAF does.

From the Lance Armstrong Foundation LIVESTRONG Challenge website...

"The LIVESTRONG Challenge is the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s (LAF) signature fundraising event. This annual series of events takes place in cities across the country, enabling anyone to support the LAF’s mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.

What We Do:

Advocacy: We are unifying people affected by cancer to make survivorship a health priority.

We’re your champion on Capitol Hill.
We’re your supporter with the healthcare system.
We’re your sponsor in the research labs.

Public Health: We are creating a network of resources for cancer survivors, their family and friends and healthcare providers.

We help you deal with long-term physical and psychological challenges.
We provide the resources you need to get on with your life.

Research: We recognize that research plays a vital role in eliminating suffering caused by cancer.

We connect survivors to clinical trials that may ultimately lead to new therapies and treatments.
We fund innovative research that may not qualify for traditional funding."

Go to http://www.livestrongchallenge.org for even more information.

Thank you for reading this and good luck Aaron!