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Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too.  Read on for details of my reasons for supporting Gilda's Club NYC and their essential services for those affected by cancer.

I am running to support the members of Gilda’s Club New York City, but I’m not stopping there…

I have been further inspired to run on behalf of four important survivors in my life who continue to show me each day of their journey how to look cancer in the eye, face their fears and concerns, and emerge with an ever-growing verve for life.

• My dear father, Bill Springer, is an eleven-year survivor of prostate cancer. From the moment he shared the shocking news of his diagnosis with our family, I never doubted he would make it though the surgery, radiation and other therapies to come out healthy on the other side. My faith proved right, my father proved a determined and worthy opponent of the disease, and he now continues to enjoy his retirement, beloved grandchildren and doggie Rosie.

• Close family friend, Joe “Uncle Joey” Valentino, beat non-Hodgkins lymphoma. His experience with what he has renamed “The Hook” has deepened his lust for life. His ongoing support for others dealing with the disease, his sense of humor and his frankness about coping with the devastating news of his diagnosis has afforded him a richness to life that he remains ironically grateful for.

• My close friend and fellow marathon runner, Tammy Beltle, and I went for a pre-training two-mile run last February. She struggled but we thought not much of it as sometimes even short runs can be rough. Inside of three weeks, Tammy’s world turned upside down and inside out when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Never one to shy from a challenge, Tammy has made it through treatment and transplant with admirable aplomb and focus. Her commitment to “kicking cancer’s ass” and running her next marathon makes even my toughest training sessions seem a breeze.

• My friend and colleague, Ron Greig, supported his wife through her cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2011 and 2012, and just recently he has begun his own navigation through those experiences. He was diagnosed with stage I esophageal cancer only two weeks ago and underwent surgery last Saturday. When we last spoke over the phone, Ron reminded me what a gift life is, how he is grateful for every day he has, and that having cancer does not negate all the blessings in his life.

If my dad, Joe, Tammy and Ron can muster the strength to face and fight cancer with such grace, then I can certainly get out there and run a few hours on the pavement of the best city in the world. My finish line will be a starting line for others.

Please join me in supporting Gilda’s Club NYC by matching my pledge of $100. Rest assured, however, that a gift of ANY SIZE will impact the members and program of Gilda’s Club NYC.

Every gift counts, no matter how small. Your support makes a difference.

Gilda’s Club NYC is named after comedienne Gilda Rader who once said that having cancer gave her membership in an elite club she’d rather not belong. At Gilda’s Club New York City, thousands of individuals and families come to the downtown clubhouse and 6 satellite locations throughout New York City annually as they face cancer. Gilda’s Club NYC provides support and networking groups, educational lectures, workshops and social activities for individuals learning to live with cancer, all free of charge to members.