Team Shrinking Jeans is moving in to week 10 of our Team in Training program for the San Diego Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon. This past week we went through the recommitment phase with Team in Training, and several of our team members had to make the painful decision to drop from the team. Part of our commitment is raising $2,900 dollars each for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and if you feel like you’re not going to meet your goal you can back out, and retain your funds for another race at a later date.
Team Shrinking Jeans is still 15 members strong, and each of us is working hard to make sure we meet our personal fundraising goals. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had some amazing fundraisers. At the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans, we held a huge Bash where we had a slew of prizes donated by some amazing companies and team members, and also a $400 CASH grand prize which everyone on our team pitched in for. We asked that people donate to the team fundraising site and in return they were given chances to win. We raised almost $1500 dollars for the team, and had so much fun doing it!
Some of our team members have gotten creative as well. Christie O. put together a wildly successful fundraising event where she ran on a treadmill at the mall all day for donations. Yes, you read right, she ran (and walked) on the treadmill for 10 hours, wearing crazy hats and costumes, logging 26 long miles and raising over $1,400. You can read more about her crazy forays in the name of wiping out blood cancer here.
Lisa also had a great fundraiser over the holiday weekend. She hosted a block party and Easter egg hunt for her neighbors and kids’ classmates. Complete with Chick-fil-A goodies, and other items that local businesses donated, she raised $250. I’m sure she’ll find time to blog about it soon, so just keep checking her site for pictures and more details!
Several of our team members have also hosted (or are hosting) benefit nights at local restaurants like Claim Jumper, and over the next few weeks, there will be many more awesome fundraisers for us to tell you about. All in all, Team Shrinking Jeans has raised over $24,400 dollars to help find a cure for cancer, and we’ve also been doing a little running here and there, too!
So about that running….we’re currently in week 10 of our training, which means most of us are running 8 miles this weekend for our long runs. EIGHT MILES! Wow. I know that most of us have never run that far, so this is really huge for us. Several people on our team have been dealing with injuries as well. While it’s certainly not easy, most of us are following doctors’ and Coach Joe’s orders and doing what we need to do to get back on track. I suffered from a bout of tendonitis for a few weeks, Heather is dealing with shin splints and hips problems, Lisa’s dealing with hip problems, Audrey’s had some back issues, Mel was sidelined with a neck issue that turned out fine, and I think everyone’s been dealing with aches and pains along the way.
We are all pushing forward though, not just for the amazing sense of accomplishment that will come with completing a 1/2 marathon, but also for the people we are honoring and remembering. Fathers, mothers, grandfathers, friends, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, patients, and strangers. We are doing this for them, in hopes that one day there is a cure for the horrid disease they race to beat.
To date here is what we’ve all raised:
Melissa A.: $1,577.47 Heather: $2,211.47 Jessica: $1,278.47 Kelly: $2,318.62 Audrey: $721.47 Nora: $1,962.47 Christy: $2,141.47 Melissa M.: $2,150.00 Kirsten: $2,472.47 Lisa: $1,631.47 Christie O.: $2,548.59 Erin: $2,189.54 Kristen: $173.62 Michael: $100.25
Tiffany: $1,144.62
Team total: $24,622
Several of us have raised more than our total reflects, but have checks that haven’t posted yet!
Team Shrinking Jeans is doing big things, so be sure to check back in often to see our progress! Please consider donating to Team Shrinking Jeans. Do it for someone you know who has suffered from blood cancer, or any cancer. The research the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society funds bridges all types of cancer, not just blood cancers.