Cycle for Survival

This was not news that I wanted to hear to end or begin a year. I'm passing it on here in the hopes that you will help spread the word and that you might consider it one of your causes for the new year.

As all of you know, I have spent the past 4 years battling a rare type of cancer. After 3 surgeries and 22+ months of chemo, I thought I was through the worst of it. However, I just found out this week that my cancer has returned for the 4th time. The doctors are optimistic but I would be lying if I said I'm not scared and extremely frustrated by this recent news.

I am a "glass half-full" type of person so I don't choose to dwell on the following harsh realities of my situation:
• I have a rare type of cancer with no known cure.
• I have already relapsed 3x and without funding to research new alternatives, my options are becoming more scarce
• I am not alone. "Orphan" cancers affect millions of people a year, but don't get the attention and funding they desperately require.

Many of you are asking how you can help and the answer is to get involved with Cycle for Survival, the charity that Dave and I created 3 years ago to raise money for rare, underfunded cancer. You can donate, participate and spread the word.

I know the economy makes it hard to be generous this year however 100% of the money raised will be directed to cutting-edge trials and research at the world's leading institution for cancer care - Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. If you make one donation this year, this money will make the most difference .

Love,
Jen Goodman Linn

Jennifer was a student of mine back when I was teaching middle school. She was a great student and person and has grown to be everything I saw in her then and more.

At the age of 33, Jen was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Over the last 4 years, she has endured 3 major surgeries and 20+ months of chemotherapy.

Despite these challenges, Jen was determined to help the millions of people impacted by cancer and therefore created Cycle for Survival to raise money for cancer research directed at a broad range of rare cancers.

Please spread the word to anyone you know and visit the website for the organization she helped create called www.cycleforsurvival.org to learn how you can get involved.
Jen and her husband Dave have been doing a lot to raise money for more treatment options.

100% of the funds raised through Cycle for Survival go directly towards cancer research, with a particular focus on less common or "orphan" cancers that affect millions of people a year, but don't get the attention and funding they desperately require. Importantly, many doctors believe that research on these less common cancer types will yield the keys to breakthroughs across a range of the most common cancers. All dollars will be directed to cutting-edge trials and research at the world's leading institution for cancer care – Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The Event: Cycle for Survival is an indoor "spin-a-thon" on Sunday Jan 25, 2009. Teams will ride at the main location in NYC (Equinox at 44th and Lexington) as well as at a variety of satellite locations around the world. Cycle for Survival was created in 2007 and has already raised over $800,000 dollars for cancer research. The goal this year is to raise $1 Million and have over 200 teams participating on that day.

3 ways to help:

1. Cycle in NYC: To sign-up, just go to www.cycleforsurvival.org and click on Register at the top of the page. Then form a team of 2 to 8 people and reach out to your friends, family, and co-workers to sponsor your team.
2. Form a Satellite Team: If you would like to participate, but can't be in NYC, you can form a "satellite team" anywhere in the world. Satellite teams consist of 1 or more people who find their own location and participate in any type of indoor or outdoor ride (or other form of exercise). To register as a satellite team, go to www.cycleforsurvival.org, click on Register, and then click on "start a satellite team."
3. Donate: You can donate online using a credit card by going to www.cycleforsurvival.org and clicking on the "Make a Gift" button. You can either make a general donation or you can support a particular team or individual. During the donation process, the site will even let you search to determine if your company has a matching gift program.

Questions: Please contact Abby Kussell at Memorial Sloan-Kettering (646-227-2762, kussella@mskcc.org) if you have any questions or need any info that's not on the website.

On Facebook: Type “Cycle for Survival” (WITH spaces) into the Search box in the upper right hand corner. To become a Fan of our “Page”, click on the “Pages” tab along the top of the search results; to join our “Group”, click on the “Groups” tab.