Hi Friends!!!

As some of you may already know, on November 6th I will be running in the New York City Marathon. That’s right, Colin is going to run 26.2 miles. WOOF. According to the math I just did in my head, that’s equivalent to 138,336 Subway 5 Dollar Foot Long Subs, or (to sound even more daunting) 1,660,032 inches. Seems like quite the feat, no pun intended, until you take a step back and look at it through a different lens.

Ultimately, the view from this perspective is the reason why I’m training to run all of these miles, feet, and inches. For the past year, I’ve been rocking a stylish pink bracelet inscribed with: “Team Gabby” and #GoGabbyGo”.  Whereas the phrasing is quite simple, these words carry a deep level of meaning to myself and MANY others.

So…who’s Gabby, and what’s her story?  It’s difficult for words to encompass the true inspiration that Gabby is, but I’ll try my best.

Gabby is a fearless 4 year old from my hometown, Vestal, New York, who on some days, you may mistake as Elsa, from Frozen. She loves dressing up, building forts, coloring, and playing with her brother, Lucas.   Although she just turned 4, she has gone through more than most of us can ever imagine in such a short period of time.  At age 2, Gabby was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).  After battling it like a champ, her condition went into remission. Unfortunately, she relapsed this past December. Since then, she has been living at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she has been receiving treatment and care, which includes harsh chemotherapy and radiation.  Most recently, she received a bone marrow transplant on June 17.

Again, she’s a 4 year old.

HERE’S THE THING, after reading her mom’s daily posts recapping the days at the hospital, you forget that she’s still so young.  She bravely endures the gauntlet of tests and probes, while being a long term resident at CHOP; she’s bonded an entire community together, whether it be through toy drives or bone marrow registry events; and most importantly, albeit inadvertently, she’s given countless people, myself included, a wakeup call…a reminder that every day is a precious gift that should never be taken for granted.

So, in the spirit of gratitude and paying it forward, I am running the NYC Marathon in honor of Gabby Laubisch, and on behalf of one of the major sponsors of the marathon, Alex’s Lemonade Stand. This foundation has an inspiring background story and has raised over $127 Milllion Dollars to date to help find a cure for childhood cancers!!!  My entry fee is $3,000, but just like Gabby, we’ll set our sights higher; I have set a goal of $5,000 and here’s how you can help!

26.2 Reasons to give:

#1 - #20: Did you not just read my entire post?!  #GOGABBYGO
#21: Every $50 will fund one hour of research
#22: Instead of buying me a beer next time you see me just donate here
#23: As Matt Damon said in Entourage, “it’s for the kids!”
#24: What part about, IT’S FOR THE KIDS! did you miss…
#25: Tax Deductions.
#26: Revert to numbers 1-25 and if you come back to #26, move onto the last reason
     .2: If you STILL haven’t donated and need .2 more reasons to give, just think of me with .2 miles to go.  My palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.  I’ve got 1,056 feet to go, or about 1 minute and 30 seconds.  It will take you less time to walk to your wallet, pull out your credit card and donate here.

In today’s day and age we hear about a moving story, act ardently in the short term, and then 2 weeks later switch our focus. We LOVE to jump around from occurrence to occurrence like an amusement park of different roller coasters. Some are bumpy, others a rush…some make your stomach sick and others you want to ride again and again. 

Just as it is for Gabby, some days will be harder than others; but, as I’ve started to do, I encourage you to make the decision to switch the lens, and look at the situation through a new perspective.  Throw a smile on, attack life with an unparalleled vigor and I promise you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish. Get out there and make a difference in whatever way you can. #GOGABBYGO

THANKS and feel free to spread the word!!!