Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend presented by CIGNA
Family Trains for Walt Disney World Marathon as Members of Team In Training to Honor Aunt/Mother's battle with Blood Cancer
Dawn Haney, Team In Training (TNT) sr. campaign director of the Southern Florida Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), has taken on the Walt Disney World Marathon for the past seven years. The past five years she has done so to honor her Aunt Bea's (Beatrice Mahoney) battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Aunt Bea, an Orlando resident and mother of six, was in remission from the disease for five years, but the cancer recently returned, and she is currently in Houston at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center awaiting a grueling bone marrow transplant to save her life.
Haney is now among seven family members to join together to train for this year's race (January 9-10, 2010) and they're calling themselves the Bea Team. They are already well on their way to raising their goal of $20,000 to support blood cancer research. To learn more about their effort please visit Bea's son, Sean Mahoney's site at http://pages.teamintraining.org/sfl/wdw10/seanmahoney.
Over the past 12 years more than 22,000 participants of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) program have taken part in the Walt Disney World Marathon, raising more than $60 million over that time to support blood cancer research and patient services.
Training for TNT participants is already well under way for the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon, but those interested in joining TNT have an opportunity to sign up now for the Disney Princess Half Marathon, a new event taking place Sunday March 7, 2010. Visit http://www.teamintraining.org/sfl/ to learn more.
TNT participants get four to five months of training with certified coaches and enjoy the camaraderie of a supportive team to train with. In return they raise funds to support blood cancer research and patient services.
To learn more about Team In Training, please visit www.teamintraining.org
Team In Training Participants Take On Marathon to Help Find Cures
Over the past 12 years more than 22,000 participants of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) program have taken part in the Walt Disney World Marathon, raising more than $60 million over that time to support blood cancer research and patient services.
TNT participants are already gearing up for another exciting event weekend January 9-10, 2010.
One of those participants is Megan Lott, of Ft. Pierce, Fla., who ran the race last year in honor of her cousin, Shana Pardue, a lymphoma survivor whose cancer was in remission. Megan raised enough funds so that both she and her cousin could be a part of the LLS Palm Beach chapter team last year. This season Megan has rejoined the team as an alumna, but recently learned that her cousin's lymphoma had returned. Shana had begun training as a member of Virtual TNT, but has had to put that on hold because of the recurrence of her lymphoma.
"Now I am more motivated than ever to train and raise funds to support LLS's mission," says Megan. In fact Megan has joined the chapter's "Marathon Maniac" program in which she will participate in all three events offered by the chapter this winter, and will raise over $5,000 in an effort to find a cure.
Team In Training participants get four to five months of preparation with certified coaches and enjoy the camaraderie of a supportive group of teammates. They get to chose from more than 60 accredited events and can chose among marathons, half-marathons, triathlons, century (100-mile) cycling events or hike adventures. In return, participants raise funds to support blood cancer research and patient services. TNT participants receive tools and support for their fundraising, including a personalized fundraising web page.
Another Palm Beach participant, Rick Welch, was first approached in 1988 to be a part of the original TNT team by his good friend, Leslie Clarkson, who was battling leukemia. Citing a busy schedule he turned down the offer. Fast forward 21 years, and Rick has now found himself on the receiving end of a blood cancer diagnosis. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma this past July. He is now undergoing his first round of radiation, yet still finds the energy and strength to come to training each and every Saturday.
"Rick has become a true inspiration to the Team, especially to his sister and niece, who both joined TNT after his diagnosis and are also doing Disney in his honor," said Elizabeth Hughes, deputy executive director of the LLS Palm Beach chapter. "Amazingly enough, if you ask him who he is doing this for, it isn't himself. It is for his dear friend, Leslie."
To learn more about Team In Training, please visit www.teamintraining.org.
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