Michael Witczak's Race for the cure
Saving lives, one mile at a time
With all of that said, I have decided to once again take part in a great organization, Team In Training. For those who don't know, Team In Training is a group, started in 1988 by Bruce Cleland that decided to form a team to raise money for his daughter, who was diagnosed with Leukemia. On that day, Cleland was able to raise $322,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Today, Team In Training has raised more than $850 million to find a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma. This has taken us from a 14% survival rate to around 70% survival rate. That figure is misleading though. It is a great start! Imagine having 10 friends with a blood cancer. This means 3 of them will not survive the war against cancer. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in conjunction with Team In Training are not satisfied nor should we be. This cure rate should be 100%. The problem is that the disease mutates and changes in each and every situation and it makes it harder to find a cure without money to pay for the research. Research fees climb and it makes it more difficult to meet our goals. This is where you come into the equation. I have decided to dedicate my weekends to intensly train for another century ride and in exchange I once again need your help. In order to ride, I have set a goal of raising $5,000 for the society. This money is split to where over 80% of the money donated goes to the society with the other 20% paying for the salaries of the people that make this happen. This is extremely rare to see with a charity as overhead costs typically absorb more than 20% of all donations, just another reason Team In Training is special. Your contribution will help find a cure and assist those that are currently in the battle for their life against blood cancers. You can make a difference in so many lives by making a contribution.
Just as I did last year, I have set up this online page to track my progress as I train and get ready for Lake Tahoe. If you got the chance to read about my travels last year, you will know that I tend to have some of the worst luck on a bike and it can be pretty funny to read and laugh at my wonderful adventures in cycling. Not only can you read about my adventures, but you can also donate from this page as well. The best way to donate is through this website and you will receive a receipt right then and there. I can also accept checks, made payable to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Here are the pictures from last year's ride: My Ride
I cannot thank you all for your support again. I wish I could capture all the smiles I see along the way to show you the impact you have on the lives of these individuals. Thank you Thank you Thank you!