And now, for something different
Yea, this post has nothing to do with the Mariners. I think we could all use a break for a day or so.
A lot of people ask us if they can send us money to help support the site. Generally, we tell them to donate it to charity instead. Well, now, I can combine the best of both worlds. My girlfriend (commence joke about bloggers not having social skills… now) is training for a marathon in June with Team In Training, who use marathons as fundraisers for research to find a cure for leukemia and lymphoma. Her mother’s first husband died from leukemia at the age of 19, and she’s dedicating the marathon to him and her brother, who lost his father when he was seven months old. She hopes to raise $5,000 in the next couple of months, and, being the good boyfriend that I am, I offered to put a note on the blog for anyone who wants to donate. Her team in training website can be found here, and you can donate securely online through the site. If you don’t like giving money through the internet, you can drop us an email and I’ll tell you where you can mail a check.
The bonus is that the marathon is in Alaska in June, so we’ll be flying into Seattle on the way up there, and there’s a decent chance we’ll host another USSM event while I’m in town. So, if you give money, you get to support leukemia research, support the site indirectly, and encourage a get together this summer. Everyone wins all around.
Update: $325.00 as of lunch time. You guys rock. $1,000 would be a tremendous starting spot for her, and it looks like it’s within reach.
Update #2: $820.00 $1,950 so far. A huge thank you to all of you who have given so far. She’s overwhelmed by the generosity of others, and had no idea you guys would come through like this. You guys are the best.
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37 Responses to “And now, for something different”
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Dave,
No one jokes about bloggers lacking social skills.
Baseball statheads, however, are a different story.
I thought bloggers all lived in their mother’s basements– that’s what they say on the radio, anyway.
What an awesome cause. A really good friend of mine passed away a few years ago after a lengthy battle with lymphoma. It was pretty terrible to watch. You can tell your girlfriend she can count on my wife’s and my support.
And I can say my wife is very excited to not be living in my mother’s basement. =)
Keep in mind that Dave broke up with his last girlfriend because she used ERA and WHIP to evaluate pitcher talent.
Must be the Midnight Sun Marathon. While I live in Sequim, WA now, I was born and raised in Anchorage, Ak. Have a great trip.
Greg
Yay – the confluence of baseball and a good cause. Who’d have thought it would come from the Prince of Evil Blogs…
I will make a donation–what a great cause!
However, I just want to clarify: your girlfriend’s mother’s husband died at 19 years old? I thought I married young at 22!
I too will make a donation. Any chance part of it can be used to buy the runners a refreshing beer at the finish line?
Um…kudos Dave. Great cause as well. Thanks for the heads up. I don’t mean to offend anyone. But I do have to ask one thing…as if I don’t, someone else will. The name of the organization isn’t conducive to an acronym. Was that done on purpose? LOL!
Crazy. I was just clicking through to read it but then I realized it’s hosted on my company’s site. Even more reason to donate I guess. Good luck!
Dave, tell your girlfriend good luck. She’s doing an amazing thing and it’s a great cause. You’ll both enjoy the event. Get ready to be overwhelmed. I have many friends who have done that marathon and call it their favorite. I’ve been involved with Team in Training for a few years as a participant and coach.
I’m donating right now.
Beniitec, many just call it TNT. It doesn’t exactly make sense but it’s better than the alternative.
Yeah…ok good. That’s much better. 🙂 This is a nice break from…yeah that.
Very cool for your gf.
I ran the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon for TNT a few years ago. It was a great experience and loved everything about it. Tips for her run; the middle third of the race is on the Tank Trail, so it’s a bit hilly and she’ll be running on trail.
Alaska is beautiful in the summer, you guys will have a great time. My gf’s family is Alaskan and I’ve enjoyed all of my time there. The mosquitos are massive in the summer.
Good luck to your gf, it’s a good run. The cause is personal to me and will help out with what I can.
An Anchorage USSM get together would be awesome too as I’ve been banished to Alaska for 4 years now and have missed all the feeds. Mariner Nation is strong up here and I noticed more than a few commenter’s handles are Alaskan themed.
I ran a marathon, and it was hell on earth. Four hours of hell. Make sure she follows a training guide and is really in shape for it and has done long runs to prepare (assuming this is her first).
Which marathon is it?
Hear hear! We could do Moose’s Tooth pizza (http://www.moosestooth.net/) and maybe a glacier pilots or bucs game. I live in the bush but will be in Anchorage for much of the summer.
http://www.alaskabaseballleague.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Baseball_League
http://www.geocities.com/shoeless_60067/alaska.html
Dave, is the marathon indeed in Anchorage?
Yes, a USSM AK meet is a must!!!!
Moose’s Tooth is a great option, though it’s always packed. We could put together a few picnic tables outside in the back of Humpy’s (www.humpys.com).
Let’s make it happen!
She’s running the Mayor’s Midnight Marathon, and it is indeed in Anchorage. As we get closer to the date, we’ll work on putting together a USSM meetup.
Is she planning on running the whole way, or walking parts of it? What’s her goal time? Has she run a marathon before?
Mine’s in. Dave, if you could find a way to raffle off a date with your cousin, I bet you could get a substantial spike in donations! I can dream anyway.
Count me in. Fantastic cause.
By the way, there’s a great debate going on between Baker’s blog and Lookout Landing. I’d love for Dave or DMZ to weigh in.
Um, this donation page asks for an annoying amount of personal information. But for you, I’ll do it. [BTW, could someone put up a “buy a beer” link for the guest moderators?]
Also, I note that you’re no longer single by choice. Good for you!
[How can you tell that you’ve been reading USSM for too long: you remember reading ca. 2004 that Dave was the last author not spoken for…]
Apparently it’s easy to find a cute girl to date you when you just so happen to be wielding a gigantic…
blog readership.
what if you can remember him as a teen?
Just karma, baby, comin’ back at ya. Thanks for all the work you do to keep us fat and happy.
Seriously, you guys rock for being so generous to help out with this.
Kudos to everyone who’s donated. The ponies approve.
well, we don’t always see eye to eye Dave, but this is a great cause and I am happy to help. You will see a significant donation in my wife Anne’s name and her company is also going to match the donation. Best of luck to your girlfriend, and I look forward to meeting you at the feed in August.
I ran a marathon, and it was hell on earth. Four hours of hell. Make sure she follows a training guide and is really in shape for it and has done long runs to prepare (assuming this is her first).
I’ve heard it described as an easy 20 mile run, then the hardest 10k of your life (assuming you’ve trained properly). For me it was an easy 20 miles, an awful 3 miles, and then limping 3 miles to the finish line after my knee exploded, so I enjoyed the first two and a half hours…but the last 45 minutes were the most painful disappointment of my life. I’m still glad I made the attempt though, before I seriously discovered alcohol.
Also make sure she’s careful about shoes during training if this is her first. A single pair will wear out fast with that sort of regimen (it’s recommended to have two pair that alternate). Even if she’s an experienced runner the difference between a 20 mile run and a 6 mile run on compressed foam can be surprising. It’s possible to keep training/running with minor stress fractures in the feet, but it makes it a much more unpleasant experience. That’s a common problem for people training for their first marathon, especially if it’s on all pavement.
Congrats & good luck to your girlfriend!
My wife is also involved with TNT (she’s doing the King’s Trail Tri in Hawaii this June) So I’ve seen first-hand just how dedicated all the participants are and what a great organization TNT is.
Count me in!
I would be all over an Anchorage event. If we do the ‘Tooth we better better make arrangemnets in advance, that place can get crazy busy in the summer.
The only problem with a Humpy’s meet-up is that it would exclude any under 21 Alaskans who enjoy the blog.
Great stuff. I’ve made my donation! Best of luck to your girlfriend!
Well now we all know why you aren’t finishing these posts. Who gave you permission to get a girlfriend? 😀
Whoa! You’re going to break two grand here. That’s awesome!
you know, this is an even nicer topic to wake up to, with the airwaves focussing on the no-I’m-more-despicable show currently going on in DC.
I’d also be up for tying in donations to a good cause (for USSM or anything else) whenever the next feed rolls around.
hint.
Hey, she’s almost half way there.
I’m way late on this, but I just put in my donation. My lady friend’s mom has been going through all sorts of cancer problems over the past couple of years, so it’s nice to be able to help here and there.
Good luck to Amy, and good for her for taking on the cause.
-Travis