Project Erica

I've mentioned Erica before. She's another friend from the blog world. Erica is an amazing person. She is gorgeous on the outside and gorgeous on the inside...well, except for her bone marrow which seems to be rather ugly. Erica needs a bone marrow donor. A perfect match. She needs one now. Please do whatever you can to help her. You can look at it two ways. If she finds a donor soon...then maybe she'll be so happy we won't have to hear her sing anymore. Or...if she finds a donor soon...then maybe she'll be so happy that we'll be blessed to hear a whole lot more of her singing. Either way, let's try to help her find a match! We want to be able to see her live a long and charmed life, grow an afro, and save the world.

Upcoming Drives
Wednesday, April 2, 11:00 - 4:00
MEDFORD, MA
Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts Campus
160 Packard Avenue, Cabot Basement (Under the Hall of Flags)

Friday, April 4, 10:00 - 3:00
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant St, Room 512 (adjacent to the Police Commission Hearing Room)

And while I'm at it. Here is a letter I received from my friend Kate...

Kate’s

Ride of Hope

You're doing what?!
Yes, it’s that time of year again when either cabin fever or a lack of lucidity takes over my very being and catapults me into a new adventure. Last year it took the form of sliding head first down mountain slopes, frolicking in the snow with an ice axe, and purely enjoying the amazing view from mountain tops. This year it so happens that I will be working toward the goal of doing on a bike what most rational people do in a car – travel from Seattle to Portland, covering just over 200 miles.

Why on earth would you want to do that to yourself?!
I suppose the mere thought of another spandex-clad cyclist pedaling through miles of soreness, hunger, and fatigue might not sound very enticing – it probably shouldn’t! However, my past experience with goal-reaching (those stunning mountain top views) is being taken to a new level this year. It has a little something to do with heart and a lot to do with hope…

Children Are a Treasure
A little more than a decade ago, an exuberant toddler named Katie filled my day care classroom with giggles and excitement. She was truly full of life, and she maintained that gift even through her treatments for AML a year after I left the day care. On a summer day in 1999, I attended Katie’s memorial service – it was a time to remember a young girl who brought joy to many lives.

Friends Are Friends Forever
When Karen and Joe began attending our church fellowship back in Pittsburgh shortly into the new millennium, I felt that I had found a kindred spirit in Karen and a gentle friend in Joe. They were filled with joy, love, and generosity. After I received news last fall that Joe was gone, I wept… for his ever-loving wife, Karen; for their families and our friends; and for the absence on this earth of a wonderful young man.

From Weeping to Hope
In loving remembrance of Katie and Joe, I will be riding with Team in Training with the goal of raising $2800, 75% going toward research, patient and community services, advocacy, and educational outreach about leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma. Please
consider being a part of my support team in raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:

Ø You can donate securely through my website: www.active.com/donate/tntwaak/katerideofhope

Thank you so much!

Kate