Dear Friends,

Picture this scene.

A father and mother of a 5 year old child sit in a doctor’s office, waiting to hear the test results from a blood test taken a few days ago. The doctor enters the room, but he does not look them in the eye. The tension in the room is intense. The parents watch the doctor’s every move as he settles into his chair, adjusts his glasses and clears his throat. The doctor has something to tell them, the hardest part of his job, and the toughest words for a parent to hear. The doctor starts to speak; his voice is low, gruff, sounding as though he has not slept in days. The doctor finally says; “I am sorry to tell you this, but your child has Leukemia.” A parent’s worst nightmare. One that we all hope we never have to hear. Or, maybe a single mother with three small children is told she has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and only a few months to live. Or, a husband who has been married for twenty-five years must tell his beloved wife and children that he has Lymphoma. These are just hypothetical situations.

The reality is everyone knows of a family member, friend or a co-worker that has or had some form of cancer. At the police department I work at, Tisana Griffith, wife of Officer Brian Griffith for 15 years and mother of Tristian (17) and Matthew (16), had been fighting a good fight against breast cancer for 8 years, but lost the battle in March of 2004. Another officer, Tom Alvarado, a "Motor Jock" with over 20 years experience with the police department, was diagnosed with Myeloma in January 2004 and is currently going through chemo-therapy. The Sunday school class that I attend at church has 6 families out of 20 that are affected by cancer. Two of those families, Pelegreen and Van Roy, lost a loved one to cancer this year. Personally, my own mother was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma a week before Christmas 2003 and is currently undergoing chemo-therapy. I could go on, but you get the point. It could happen to you or someone you love! Cancer is a disease that touches each of us at sometime in our life.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:
• Every nine minutes, another child or adult is expected to die from leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. This statistic represents 158 people each day - seven people every hour. Leukemia’s are the leading fatal cancers in young men and women under age 20.
• These diseases strike some 107,900 Americans each year and kill 60,500.
• Leukemia is the #1 cause of death in children between the ages of 1-15.

That’s the bad news.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS):
• The Society was established in 1949 as The de Villiers Foundation who had lost their only son to Leukemia and recognized the need for a separate organization dedicated to finding cures for the disease.
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
• Nearly 76 cents of every dollar spent goes directly to research and patient services, such as: paying utility bills, transportation to doctor’s appointments, wigs for those that have lost their hair, etc.
• THE GOOD NEWS IS: The survival rate has risen from 4% in 1960 to 81% in the last decade.

How does LLS raise the money? The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society holds hundreds of fundraising events annually; its signature program “Team In Training (TNT)” is the world’s largest endurance sports training / fundraising program of its kind. Individuals just like you and me compete in Marathons, Century cycle rides and Triathlons which are celebrations of the human spirit, physical ability and mental endurance. But for members of Team In Training® (TNT), they are also celebrations of life. The mission of TNT is to use running, walking, cycling and triathlons as symbols of endurance and hope.

To help the athletes stay focused, each team is paired with one or more partners from the local community who face even greater challenges. These ‘Honored Heroes’ have a blood-related cancer or are in remission. Honored Heroes become a vital part of the team, providing inspiration that allows an athlete to exceed their physical limits and rise to the mostly mental challenges that an endurance athlete must overcome.

This is where you and I come in. I am writing to each of you, asking for your support and to join the team. As a team, we can help in the fight against blood-related cancers. You provide a tax deductible gift that will help find a cure for Leukemia, Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Myeloma or provide patient services for those afflicted with a blood-related disease. And I promise to collect the donations, turn them into The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in your name and train for the triathlons.

Our financial goal is to raise $7500 by direct donations (NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL) or buying raffle tickets ($5 each or $20 for 5) for a drawing to be held May 22. There are a wide variety of prizes that will be given away that have been donated by local companies in the DFW area, i.e.: South West Airline tickets, Teeth Whitening, Jewelry, Sporting events, Amusement Parks, New Computer, Golf (Lessons and Rounds), Bowling, Dinner at some very nice Restaurants, Movie passes, Gift cards to Lowe’s and Home Depot, Tanning, Manicure/Pedicure, Oil change, Car wash or a shine for your boots or shoes; to name just a few.

There are 3 triathlons I will be participating in this year (God willing), once we reach the required goal for each event. The first is May 31 in Austin, an Olympic distance (Open water Swim in Travis Lake .9 miles, Cycle 25 miles, and Run 6.2 miles). The Next triathlon is September 12 in Santa Cruz, Ca. A Half-Ironman distance (Open water swim in the ocean of 1.2 miles, Cycle 56 miles, and Run a half-marathon of 13.1 miles). Last but not least, November 14 in Panama City, FL. An Ironman distance (Open water swim in the ocean of 2.4 miles, Cycle 112 miles, Run a full marathon of 26.2 miles).

Thank you in advance for your contribution. When you make a contribution, please let us know if you have an ‘Honored Hero’, (someone currently battling any form of cancer or in remission) or a ‘Remembered Saint’ (someone who has lost a fight against cancer) you want us to list on our banner that we will take to each event so everyone remembers why we are there.

Pleas send your tax deductible donations in the form of cash, check or credit cards to:
PMB 228
6702 Dalrock Rd. #126
Rowlett, TX. 75089
Phone: (972) 475-9819
E-mail: dkmms1@yahoo.com

Make checks out to 'Leukemia Society'. In the memo section, write Darryl Kimmis.
Credit Cards will be processed through PayPal.
LLS will mail you a formal receipt for tax purposes.