It has been a long time from my last post and there has been a lot of water under the bridge...some wonderful highs, some terrifying moments and lowest of lows...so much to communicate...where to begin...let's start with the Bum Run.
When last I posted I was just a few weeks away from the 2nd Annual Bum Run for colon cancer. The Kicking the Crap Crew once again came together on a beautifully sunny, warm Sunday in August in downtown Toronto with a few new members and regrets for some from the previous year who could not join us all with the single-minded focus to raise money, awareness, to show support for those who, like me, are battling with colon cancer or have lost the fight. Friends and family joined hundreds of others enthusiastic runners on that Sunday in August and man did we represent. It absolutely thrills me to report that the Kicking the Crap Crew raised over $8000 for colorectal cancer research - and smashed our fundraising goal in the process - which represented approx. 14% of the total online funds raised. The Kicking the Crap Crew - or The Crew, KTCC - represented, yo!!!. The Crew was the #1 fundraising team in the whole event and drew the attention of the founder, Dr. Bookman, the Event organizers and Colon Cancer Canada as they tweeted out our results regularly to spur others on. Way to go, Crew. As Team Captain I am so humbly proud of you all. As a colon cancer patient and battler I am moved, touched and so entirely grateful for all of your support.
On a personal note I myself am thrilled to report that I was honoured to have 66 people sponsor me for this year's Bum Run and raised over $4800 for colon cancer research and education / awareness. This total represented the second highest individual fundraising total behind Darlene...and I could not be happier to be in this position. You see, I had the honour of meeting Darlene after the run while waiting to record a patient video by request of the event organizers. Darlene was running for her late sister who had lost the battle to this f$$%^ng awful brutal disease. When I introduced myself to her she immediately recognized who I was...whether through reading my personal web page on the Bum Run site or by way of my blog...it really doesn't matter. I hugged her and thanked her personally for raising so much for the battle and expressed my sorrows for the loss of her sister. We shared tears. A shout out to you, Darlene.
This year was so different from last year. Last year I was in mid-chemo treatments and my energy level along with physical health was not great. It was all I could muster to simply walk beside my very pregnant wife Victoria as we both pulled up the rear of the event - with Toronto police officers escorting us around the run route and event organizers picking up the orange pylons behind us. This year I am blessed to have been healthy enough to not only walk the event but even ran (ok - jogged is more like it) for some stretches of the 5 kilometre route. In fact, I crossed the finish line jogging while pushing the stroller which held my sleeping son, Benjamin. It is impossible to articulate just how I felt emotionally as I crossed the line while pushing my son. It wasn't about the accomplishment of the physical feat of running but rather the fact that I was healthy enough this year to jog across the finish line.
There will be a third annual Bum Run in 2014. I am healthy and determined to represent the Kicking the Crap Crew once again and do even more to raise funds and get out the word about colon cancer. After all, we all share the same goal - to kick the crap out of colon cancer once and for all.
When last I posted I was just a few weeks away from the 2nd Annual Bum Run for colon cancer. The Kicking the Crap Crew once again came together on a beautifully sunny, warm Sunday in August in downtown Toronto with a few new members and regrets for some from the previous year who could not join us all with the single-minded focus to raise money, awareness, to show support for those who, like me, are battling with colon cancer or have lost the fight. Friends and family joined hundreds of others enthusiastic runners on that Sunday in August and man did we represent. It absolutely thrills me to report that the Kicking the Crap Crew raised over $8000 for colorectal cancer research - and smashed our fundraising goal in the process - which represented approx. 14% of the total online funds raised. The Kicking the Crap Crew - or The Crew, KTCC - represented, yo!!!. The Crew was the #1 fundraising team in the whole event and drew the attention of the founder, Dr. Bookman, the Event organizers and Colon Cancer Canada as they tweeted out our results regularly to spur others on. Way to go, Crew. As Team Captain I am so humbly proud of you all. As a colon cancer patient and battler I am moved, touched and so entirely grateful for all of your support.
On a personal note I myself am thrilled to report that I was honoured to have 66 people sponsor me for this year's Bum Run and raised over $4800 for colon cancer research and education / awareness. This total represented the second highest individual fundraising total behind Darlene...and I could not be happier to be in this position. You see, I had the honour of meeting Darlene after the run while waiting to record a patient video by request of the event organizers. Darlene was running for her late sister who had lost the battle to this f$$%^ng awful brutal disease. When I introduced myself to her she immediately recognized who I was...whether through reading my personal web page on the Bum Run site or by way of my blog...it really doesn't matter. I hugged her and thanked her personally for raising so much for the battle and expressed my sorrows for the loss of her sister. We shared tears. A shout out to you, Darlene.
This year was so different from last year. Last year I was in mid-chemo treatments and my energy level along with physical health was not great. It was all I could muster to simply walk beside my very pregnant wife Victoria as we both pulled up the rear of the event - with Toronto police officers escorting us around the run route and event organizers picking up the orange pylons behind us. This year I am blessed to have been healthy enough to not only walk the event but even ran (ok - jogged is more like it) for some stretches of the 5 kilometre route. In fact, I crossed the finish line jogging while pushing the stroller which held my sleeping son, Benjamin. It is impossible to articulate just how I felt emotionally as I crossed the line while pushing my son. It wasn't about the accomplishment of the physical feat of running but rather the fact that I was healthy enough this year to jog across the finish line.
There will be a third annual Bum Run in 2014. I am healthy and determined to represent the Kicking the Crap Crew once again and do even more to raise funds and get out the word about colon cancer. After all, we all share the same goal - to kick the crap out of colon cancer once and for all.
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