Ride to Conquer Cancer - benefiting Penn's Abramson Cancer Center

my penn doctors are happy to have provided me with a sweet day of spring skiing...and everything else i've gotten to do in the past nearly eight years!

I had a check in with my team at Penn this week and I'm happy to report I have nothing to report!  It wasn't a scan round, just bloodwork and and EKG so I could get my next round of the medicine.  It was a particularly good day because I laughed a lot - with the lab techs who play rock-paper-scissors to determine who's turn it is to attempt to draw blood from me (it took four sticks to fill my six vials this week), with my NP and research nurse about life in general, and with my friend and chemo nurse Sharon, whom I got to join for her early lunch break.  

Dr. Evans, Beth, Sharon and all the chemo nurses, Archel, Mary, Dr. Simone, Carol, Hope, Dr. O'Rourke, Eileen, Holly, and Jonathan (to name a few... there are many, many more people who have helped me over the years, in particular, Dr. Shrager and Dr. Rengan, who moved on to other hospitals) - my team at Penn works tirelessly to fight cancer.  I'm not their only patient - the time they spend with me, they spend with countless other patients every single day.  And that is just their time with patients.  They are involved in ground-breaking research, developing cancer treatments, determining what drives cancer in people's bodies, even into side effects of treatments.  

I wouldn't be here without them, and I am far from being the only person who can say so.

With that in mind, it is time to switch gears.  This year, for the first time, there is a fundraising bike ride that directly benefits the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn.  All the money raised will go directly to fund cancer research at Penn.  Having reached my goal for Livestrong, I would like to ask those of you who did not contribute to Livestrong this year to please consider making a donation to Penn. I will be riding 150 miles over two days in October with hundreds of other people who have a connection to Abramson.

Here is the link - tinyurl.com/lizpenn2014

I have to raise at least $2,500 to ride, but I'd like to raise even more. To sweeten the deal for you, I'm raffling off a few things: a Thermoball Jacket and a Hot Shot daypack from The North Face, some Smartwool Socks, and a pair of Smith Sunglasses have been pledged so far.  You'll be entered in the raffle when you make a donation. And I'll double your chances if you've donated to Livestrong and donate to Penn, too.

1 ticket = $10
3 tickets = $25
7 tickets = $50
10 tickets = $75
15 tickets = $100
25 tickets = $150
35 tickets = $200

Send me an email or leave a comment here to let me know you donated so I can contact you when you win!

I appreciate all your support - Penn is a part of my family, and I hope you're able to support them - no donation is too small.  If you have items for the raffle, I'd be over the moon to include them.  Shoot me an email.  And please, don't hesitate to contact me with questions.