I’m doing another marathon! I’ll be doing the Seattle Marathon on Sunday November 25^th as a member of the Team Survivor Northwest Team. And I’ll be doing it as a fundraiser.

I work for a nonprofit in Seattle called Team Survivor Northwest. We provide free fitness and health education programs to women cancer survivors, in any stage of treatment or recovery and at any fitness level. We do all sorts of classes and groups- yoga, indoor fitness, biking, dragon boating, triathlon training, hiking, running, snowshoeing, dance classes, canoeing, walking, swimming, and mountain climbing. I work with a lot of our members and these women are amazing.

Why provide free fitness classes to women cancer survivors in Washington State?

We know that:

• Exercise is an important part of the recovery and life enhancement for cancer survivors.
• Steady and moderate exercise improves functional, social and emotional quality of life.
• Breast cancer will affect 1 in 8 women in their lifetime.
• Regular aerobic exercise (like running, swimming, and biking) decreases the risks of some cancers and may impact a woman’s survival after breast cancer.
• Exercise can help decrease fatigue, depression and anxiety.
• Exercise helps build emotional and physical strength and improves the ability to enjoy and participate in life.
• Exercise improves sense of control, self esteem and body image.
• Washington State has the highest rate of cancer in the country. In 2007, an estimated 17,000 new cases of cancer are expected to occur in women in Washington.

Show me the money!
I’m setting a goal of raising $1,000. That will buy either four 3 hour cycling clinics for 30 cancer survivors or one year of fitness for 5 cancer survivors.

The Supernavage family has decided to come to Seattle for the week of Thanksgiving. They’ll be here to cheer me on and Emmy will probably run with me. As most of you know, I’m turning 30 soon after the marathon. I don’t need anything for my birthday. But a donation will help me continue to train with the group.

Can you donate to my marathon?
You can make a secure donation online at www.teamsurvivornw.org (click on the Marathon/Half marathon Training link on the left side of the page and click “Support the Marathon Team”)
Or mail a check to our office (Team Survivor Northwest, 200 NE Pacific St. Suite 101, Seattle, WA 98105).

I hope that you’ll help me by supporting my fundraising efforts. Thank you in advance for your generosity! You are truly making a difference.

Happy running!

Alicia