365 days a year, this is my blog, to post as I choose.
364 days a year, I make sure that this is a craft blog, with crafty posts and goings on.
1 day a year, it is a place I can share with you something non-crafty, but very very important to me. Today is that day...
For the rest of the country, “The Holidays” starts at the end of November with a big family gathering where they show their thanks. The Holidays start early for me, because I get to participate in this kind of family gathering at the beginning of October. Because the first weekend of October is the Relay for Life in my home town, when my family gets together to celebrate that we’re all still here. No matter how busy I get – with celebrating Little Moore’s birthday, starting a new job, getting new blog tutorials put together, or getting caught up with the other distractions in life – it is important to me to celebrate the beginning of October, and join in the Relay for Life.
The Relay for Life is a 24 hour walk, held in different towns around the country on different dates. The goal of the walk is to raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society. The team my mom puts together, as a celebration of her successful battle against Breast Cancer, is has always been called “Walk With Me.” Family and friends come to walk with her, and celebrate that thanks to research and advancements in cancer treatments, we still have my mom with us, all these years later.This year, mom has chosen to change the team name, just a little bit. Last year, just one day after the 2009 Relay for Life concluded, my then 6-year-old cousin Lucas was diagnosed with Leukemia. Over the past year he has undergone intense treatments, and his prognosis is good, although his treatment will need to continue over the next several years. In honor of Lucas, this year’s team is called, “Walk With Me… for Lucas.”
There are some other changes this year as well. I was fortunate to marry into a family that is as loving and close-knit as my own. Many members of my husband’s family have supported the relay with an annual donation. This year, his Aunt Valerie has made a beautiful quilt for us to raffle off, with the proceeds of ticket sales going to the Relay for Life. Tickets are $1 each, or 25 for $20. If you would like to purchase raffle tickets, please let me know as soon as possible. The raffle winner will be randomly selected at the event on Sunday, October 3rd.
The purpose of this post is not just to share how lucky I am that my mom and cousin are still with us, or to tell you how fortunate I am to have such a loving family, and extended family, although each of those are great things to celebrate. The purpose of this letter is to allow others to donate to the American Cancer Society.
I know that donating is a very personal choice. There are so many worthy causes, and only a limited amount of dollars to spread among them. This is a cause that is very important to me. If you would like to join me in donating, please click on the button below.
Whenever your holiday season begins, and whoever you are fortunate to share it with, I hope that it is filled with love, laughter, and the promise of many more celebrations.
Thanks in Advance,
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