How You Can Make A Difference!

I am super excited, my friend and triathlete teammate Tracy has signed up to bike the 100 miles with me. We're both a little crazy, but it's all in the name of a good cause - right?! People have asked how they can support our cause. It's easy - there are a few options below.

DONATE TOYS
Donate new, unused toys. Gently used toys cannot be accepted due to compromised immune systems of the patients. The toys should be unwrapped. Toys From Tyler Inc will take an inventory of all donations before wrapping the gifts so that they can match the toys by age and gender. Toys from Tyler brightens the lives of patients ages newborn to 18, so anything from rattles to DVDs to action figures and dolls is welcome. All toys are good!

You can give the toys to Tracy or Denise, or you can mail directly to Toys From Tyler, Inc. Toys From Tyler, Inc. The address is 8601 Fort Shea Ave, Orlando, FL 32822

OR...

Monetary Pledges
If you would like to donate money, there are a few options. We now have a paypal button set up to make it easy for you to donate online. It takes but a minute or two to send money electronically, and then a little elf (me) will use the donations to do some extra shopping to help Tyler's organization.

If you would prefer not to do Paypal, there are a few other options. You can send a check payable to Toys From Tyler, Inc. to Tracy or I and we'll pass it along. You can also mail it to Toys From Tyler, Inc. at 8601 Fort Shea Ave, Orlando, FL 32822.

Or, if instead of toys you'd prefer to donate directly to helping to prevent childhood illness, please consider a donation to St. Jude. My friend Kelly was training for a 1/2 marathon and was hit by a vehicle while running back in September. She is still unable to walk and has a long road to recovery ahead of her. While she can't run the race this year, the fundraising mission is very much still intact. Tyler's mom Angela and I will both be running a 1/2 marathon on December 4 (Angela in Memphis, me in Orlando) to support the cause. If anyone wants to donate to St. Jude, here is a link to Kelly's page.

Kelly's St. Jude Page

Thank you again for your generosity - it will bring smiles and brighter days to some of our youngest heroes!

Pledges Pending

Pledges are pending from the following people - please let me know if I can add you to the list!

PENDING COUNT as of 11/12 = 17
Yariela Thompson
Jacklynn Stroz
Sarah Yelensky
Sonia Boehringer
Marni Pasch
Jeff Miller
Samantha Helm
Meghan Faust
Christine Daruwalla
Amy Stefan
Kelly Hinckley
Deah Westfall
Ashley Lawrence
Natalie Robins
Kourtney W.
Kathleen K-C.
Christy R.

Donors To Date

1. Denise x many toys & a St. Jude contribution
2. Kelly Johnsen-Johnson
3. Liz Jurcik
4. The Scarbeary Family
5. Deana Kalakay
6. Stacey Hartman
7. Debra Klemp
8. Susan & Jerry Miller

We are up to 5 monetary pledges and almost 20 toys so far.

Please help us out so we can add you to the list! Spread the word, it's a great cause!

The Mission

On Saturday, November 13, I will be biking 100 miles across central Florida to make a difference for children suffering from cancer. Then on Saturday, December 4, I will complete the OUC Half Marathon in Orlando, FL for the very same cause.

It's many hours of training and perhaps some pain but worth every one of them and nothing in comparison to the stories of the heroes who battle this awful disease. PLEASE, will you support this mission?

I'm trying to get 100 people to support me, be it you're willing to pledge a toy or dollar, I'm not asking anyone to bike or run those distances (although if you're so inclined, by all means do)!

There are 2 ways to support (details below)
1. Make a toy donation to Toys from Tyler, Inc.
2. Make a monetary donation to St. Jude Hospital.

*****TOYS FROM TYLER (www.toysfromtyler.com)*****
My friend Angela has a 10 year old son, Tyler, who was just 5 years old when diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. He beat the odds and is a healthy little boy today. The first year he was out of the hospital (Arnold Palmer in Orlando), he gave back by bringing a toy to his pal Joey. The next year in 2006, he brought 11 toys for all the oncology patients. It has grown annually and in 2009 Tyler had over 1,800 toys, enough for all the children at Arnold Palmer. I want to help him meet that goal again and also help him have enough toys to also make a difference at St. Jude's hospital in Memphis, TN, where some of the youngest cancer heroes are battling for their lives each day. I can accept toy donations directly, or if you'd like, you can send them directly to Tyler's organization or make a deposit at Wachovia or Wells Fargo to Toys From Tyler, Inc.

*****St. Jude*****
Before the age of 30, my friend and colleague Kelly lost both her father and sister to cancer, and now one of her close family friends has a 5 year old grandchild diagnosed with the horrible disease. Kelly signed up to run the St. Jude half marathon in Memphis with a mission very near and dear to her heart - to raise funds for cancer research, and also try to take some toys on behalf of Tyler's organization. While training on September 17, Kelly was hit by a vehicle and suffered extensive injuries. We are so thankful that she is alive and expected to make a full recovery, but it will be a long road before she is even fully walking again. To help Kelly complete her journey, Tyler's mom Angela and I are doing our best to complete her fundraising goal and take the mission to a bigger level. Angela will be running the St. Jude Half Marathon on Dec 4 in Memphis, and I will run the same distance in Orlando, FL. We ask that if you have even several dollars to spare, you make a donation to Kelly's page. It would mean the world to all of us, and more importantly help St. Jude do more research so that one day there WON'T BE ANY CHILDREN IN THE HOSPITAL WITH CANCER.

https://waystohelp.stjude.org/sjVPortal/public/displayUserPage.do?userId=494322&eventId=108867&programId=401&

Thank you for your time and charitable support, it is much appreciated.