I had a rather significant series of “mission moments” recently. Whether you know me well or met me last week, you’ll know that one of the most frequently used words in my vocabulary is “DetermiNation.” For the last year, I have been running marathons for the American Cancer Society “DNation” program. After losing my grandfather to colorectal cancer last year, I was inspired to “take on the unthinkable” and run the Chicago Marathon in honor of my grandpa John. Of course, this was not the first time that I had lost someone close to me to this disease. My father Danny passed in 2002 when I was 19 years old. This was the first time, though, that I sought out a healthy way to grieve the loss and actually found a way to do so.
I ran the Chicago Marathon for DetermiNation in 2010 and immediately signed up for the Mardi Gras Marathon in 2011. Soon after, I formed a team of athletes dedicated to fighting cancer with every step taken and mile logged to take on the 2011 Chicago Marathon. Along with 19 friends, family, and outright strangers, I formed the “Magnificent Milers” and set a goal of running 524 miles on October 9, 2011 and raising $20,000 for the American Cancer Society DetermiNation program. Since February, we have been baking cookies, pouring drinks, and pounding pavement in support of our cause and in hopes that our efforts will help support the ACS find a cure.
Recently, I was able to serve my mission in a series of unexpected ways. With the help of numerous people I met along the way, I became a participant in a charity date auction. The event was put on by my friend Mark Biery, co-founder of LTS-Chicago, an organization that brings together young, charity-minded Chicagoans to participate in sports leagues and other events in support of their cause of choice. The audience was actually bidding on a package of items and gift certificates put together by the auctionee in support of the charity they represented. The “date” consisted of talking about the charity and mission over a glass of champagne and a cupcake, fitting since the ACS is the official sponsor of birthdays.
I thought it would be nerve-wracking to stand up in front of strangers, but I knew this would be an amazing opportunity to raise a lot of money for a great cause that I wholeheartedly support. The night was everything one would imagine it to be, paddles and all. I spoke with a few attendees before the auction about the baseball tickets, Chocolate tour, and gift certificates that I was able to obtain for my “date” package. I talked about my reason for running for the ACS and my father and grandfather. I stood on the stage and watched as dear friends bid way more than they could in support of me and DetermiNation. Ultimately, the $500 donation came from a man named David which was absolutely amazing. But participating in the auction resulted in two exchanges that turned out to be much more impactful than I ever could have ever expected.
Over a cupcake, David told me the story of his little baby girl who had battled and won her fight against a rare form of cancer. He told me how much he believed in the work we were doing and how thrilled he was to be able to support a cause as worthy as the ACS. Going home, I was overwhelmed by his sincerity, bravery, and generosity. The next morning, I stopped to share the good news with my doorman. As soon as the words came out of my mouth about how well the event had gone, a neighbor walked into the lobby. She was visibly shaken and my doorman asked her how she was doing. She turned to me to explain that she had been diagnosed with cancer 5 days prior and that she was a wreck.
Over the mailbox in my lobby, we talked about her fears and her gut-instinct denial when she heard the words “You have cancer.” She described a rollercoaster of shock, sadness, and anger. She talked about losing her hair and getting to the hospital and being alone in the city. We spoke about the ACS resources that I had learned of as a result of my involvement in DetermiNation, like the Ride to Recovery service and the Look Good...Feel Better program. We talked about other groups with similar missions, support groups, and survivors that I had come across during my time with the program. We exchanged phone numbers and emails and went on with our respective Saturdays.
I was stunned. Like me, she is a tall, blonde, athletic woman. Like me, she is single and living in Chicago, miles away from her family. And just like her, my life could change in an instant.
I walked out and felt myself filled with a rejuvenated sense of purpose and an increasingly urgent desire to do more. I am so grateful to know that these resources exist…for loved ones who have lost someone to this disease, for people currently facing this disease, for survivors celebrating another birthday, and for those wishing to unite and fight back against this disease.
A special thanks to the survivors in my life for the inspiration, the many friends and family who continually support me in these crazy things I take on, the individuals at LTS and the other auction participants who remind me of all of the good in the world, the strangers like David and my neighbor who sometime offer in the most meaningful reminders of why this work is important, the Magnificent Milers and countless other DNation athletes who are taking on the challenge with me, and the people who will read this and decide to help us achieve a world with less cancer and more birthdays.
Learn more about my DNation story: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/andrearunschicago
Meet the Magnificent Milers who committed to raising $20,000: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/magnificentmilers
Run (or volunteer for) DetermiNation: http://determination.acsevents.org
