Hudson Relay 2010 online is LIVE!
Our team fund raising site is now online and we are looking for team members! Join the team by clicking here!Time to write something new. Time to get kick started. Time to get busy brainstorming for the team and the committee. I took some time off from committee so I could spend more time with the team last year and try to help them more. Well, I don’t know that I was that helpful, but I did get to walk all night in memory of Donna’s husband, Rob. And I really wanted to do that for Donna, so the timing of having that year off the committee was extremely helpful.
But now? Now I’m back on the committee. So thank goodness I still have my brother to help out with the team! He is an amazing co-captain! HE was able to do both last year. AND work a full time job. I’m not nearly as competent as that.
Registration Chair. There is some great information in the manuals from the ACS online site for event development and best practices for various committee members. This is where I go to glean information. And I surf. Regularly. Looking for information from other Relays on how they are doing things in their town.
We’re hoping to make this the start of a great come back for Relay Hudson. Why? Why do we do any of it? For them, of course.
We do it for them... (photo credit - Mike Jilek)
We do it for them…
In one more (last?) follow up to our event from June, my dear HBB captured some screen prints for me during the early morning storms that came through the area while we were at the track and I thought I would put them on the blog to save them. 
Thanks, HBB!
I don’t know if you looked at our photos (scroll or check out flickr for the whole set) of the event, but you’d notice if you had that I was pretty inadequately attired for a gully-washer like this one. I have now rectified that, in the event we should ever have storms such as these in the future (in other words, we are safe from getting rained on ever again).
Radar from KMSP - CLICK to see it in ACTION!!!
This one is really impressive! (but small, boo)
Yes, we’re ready to roll out the next chapter of Relay For Life – Keith’s Brain Trust. The Hudson 2010 edition! The online fundraising website is online and our team site is officially registered as of now.
You can see our site (and donate!) by clicking on the Celebrate/Remember/Fight Back link below. Feel free to visit often and pitch any spare change you come across our way. The American Cancer Society (and I!) will thank you.
Keith's Brain Trust Team Page
I picked up the disks from Mike last week containing official photos from the event. As you can see by the new blog header, he had a great one of the team during the parade. LOVE it.
But there were a lot of others we loved, as well. I posted several out on flickr, but here are just a few I didn’t include there…
This first shot contains a lineup of the many honorary chairs (including HBB!) who were able to join us from the past ten years of our local RFL. A terrific group!
Past Honorary Chairs
And I really love the spirit of this one with all of the survivors and caregivers walking the initial lap…
Opening Lap
And this view of the opening lap is beautiful, too…
Opening Lap w/ Banner
Here is the link to others I saved at flickr.
Saying goodbye...
Yeah, they left last week for the wild west. And actually they’ll be back next week after having checked things out and seeing what their opportunities look like. I think this portrait kind of wraps up what all of us are feeling… some nerves and a some excitement.
It’s phase one of the next big adventure in their lives. And we all have big dreams and high hopes that it will all go well.
It’s been over two months and I’m due for another post. But I have no idea what to write. I’m going to head over to Resco tomorrow (I think) and pick up the photo CD’s from Mike (official Relay photographer!) so there will be new photos from our event to share. But now? I don’t have any new photos to show. WAIT! Yes, I do. I have photos from Natalie. But I have to scan them first.
People are already expressing interest in next year. THAT’S how much fun was had this year. And I have recovered enough to start walking again for exercise. On occasion. Today even.
Since the event, HBB and I have managed to entertain at our house! more than once. (this is quite momentous for those of you who don’t know us)
Two of our new teammates (Natalie and Melissa) came up with the idea of a fondue party (after nearly selling a brand new, never before used – and still not, come to think of it) beautiful fondue set. And because we have no children at home and our house is centrally located (for the most part) it was decided that it would be the location. A couple of other wonderful women were invited (Heidi and Julie) and because the date chosen fell on a night that HBB was home, he even got to attend!
Fondue Night with Heidi, Natalie and Melissa (not pictured - Julie)
Yes, a crock pot IS being used instead of the beautiful and never before used fondue pot. Because nobody thought about the necessity of sterno. *sigh* What are ya gonna do?
The very next week, I actually cooked and we had Keli and Michael and his parents over for dinner to talk about the kids’ up-coming move to New Mexico. No photos were taken of this meal or the discussion. But it did happen. Food was prepared and eaten. People discussed things. And everyone seemed to have a good time. It’s been a busy couple of months!
In addition to the entertaining of the past couple of weeks, Keith and I took a trip to New Mexico immediately following the Relay. It was wonderfully relaxing and we had gorgeous weather. It was really perfect for the hiking we love to do. Unfortunately, my ankle was giving me problems, but we did manage to get out every day and do some hikes and when I couldn’t go any further, we’d go back and I would rest and elevate. Sometimes you just do what you can.
Keith tempts fate at Tsankawi
Keri at Tsankawi
The trip gave us the opportunity to stop in Nebraska and visit some dear friends that we have been really missing who moved away from the area several months ago. (TOO LONG) So that was good. (and by good I mean AWESOME)
And now we prepare to send Keli off to a new phase of her life and see where that leads. I’m not sure we’re altogether ready for that, but off she goes, all the same. Stay tuned. I’m sure there will be a lot of fun ahead for all of us as we continue to explore this beautiful life and what it has in store as we head into the future toward the next 500 miles and our own Relay For Life…
We made SILVER! Thank you to everyone who donated and supported our team, we crossed the line of the silver fundraising club which means we collected over $5000 for the ACS. Thank you all so very much!
I will be back to update with photos as soon as I have something to share. I’m hoping that the official Relay photographer will have some terrific photos to offer on a disc once again. In the meantime, here are a few that I managed to snap during my walking around and around and around…..
Survivors' Lap
Taken with phone. I wasn't the only one on the track in the worst of the weather!
Please visit my flickr set for the Relay to see the whole shebang…
It’s time for the last minute preparation work in putting together the Relay. I have it so easy this year. I am gathering things to take to the track and that’s about it. I’m answering questions of teammates and gathering things. Oh, and mentally preparing to walk 15 hours. In the rain.
As I write this, I’m going through my playlist for the shuffle to make sure the songs I have chosen are ones I’ll want to listen to and are not ones that annoy me too much. I’m also finishing up on my luminary bags (not feeling very creative in this department this year) and making a final list of the things that have to go in our car to the track and things I have to pick up in storage today. I’m peeling carrots for a snack at the track and boiling up some edamame. And believe it or not based upon my frequent weather reports, I’m thinking positive thoughts for a clear sky throughout the night.
In the meantime, my co-captain and his wife are running around making preparations to things related to our campsite theme and other necessities. PLUS, he has committtee things to worry about. So he’ll be at the track first thing tomorrow morning doing all sorts of set up things. It’s a crazy couple of days pulling off a Relay For Life. In fact, it’s a crazy several months!
I so appreciate all of the good thoughts and messages I have received from people on Twitter, Facebook and email along with the donations. I realize not everyone can donate. I carry all of you with me on the journey. Thank you.
If you haven’t already seen the piece my sister-in-law wrote about why we do this, I’d like to share it with you here. I think that’s okay since my brother has already shared it on his facebook and she is printing it on t-shirts for the Relay.
I think it sums up pretty well why we keep doing this year after year. See you soon. Maybe before the Relay. Maybe not until after. If not until then, I hope to have photos. See you soon…
We Walk (by Bonnie Christensen)
In celebration of those who have fought and won,
And in Memory of those whose battle ended too soon
We Walk
For the Memories for Courage and Strength, for Hope
We Walk
For all who have lost Mothers & Fathers,
Sons & Daughters, Brothers & Sisters, Grandparents,
Husbands & Wives, Aunts, Uncles, and beloved Friends,
We Walk
For all who have fought before,
And all who have yet to fight
We Walk
To raise awareness and funds for research to find a cure,
To stand and fight for those whose bodies are too tired
and weary, we walk to keep their spirit strong
We Walk
For all who hear those three dreaded words
You have cancer
We Walk
For a day when we can say We have found a cure,
Until then…
We Walk
Our team has just over $500 left to reach it’s goal and get into the silver level fund raising club again this year with what we know is still coming from matching funds and what needs to be turned in. If you’d still like to donated, please click below. Thank you so very much for your generosity.
Click to donate
People are amazing.
I am sitting here preparing for this walk and thinking about the past month (is that really all the longer it has been?) since I sent out that first big email asking for donations (holy garbonzo beans that mutha was big – THANK YOU to all of you who actually read it upon receiving it!) to this year’s Relay.
And look how far we’ve come! I started out with a very modest goal and you have helped me see how much better I could do in the short four weeks I had to work with. Plus, I’ve heard from a couple of people that I can be expecting even more! (Thank you ~d, Kris and Carolyn!)
I don’t go running off to the big cheese corporations when hunting for money for this cause, I ask my family, friends, neighbors and classmates. So I don’t go into it thinking I’ll get huge results. Once again, I have been humbled.
Thank you all. Thank you so very much, each and every one of you. You have opened your hearts and your wallets to this cause that means so very much to me. And I am eternally grateful. When I begin this walk on Friday night? I will have each of you by my side.
$98!
That’s how much I have left to raise to reach my goal. Yes, that goal has changed a few times since I started this fund raising campaign, but this one is solid. When it started looking achievable, $1500 became the perfect number because it matched so nicely with the 15 hours that I’ll be walking on Friday night.
So I’m still looking for donations, folks. Ten people with $10 each could do it. Five people with $20 could do it. A couple of people with $50 could do it. It’s really not such a big number. I’ve had some really lovely people with lovely donations who could have just wiped that right out really quickly.
Will you do it?
Click to donate
