A New Event

The McLeans are pleased to announce a new fundraising event in Louisville:

“Reach the Day”
Celebration and 5K Run/Walk
· Raising Funds to Find the Cure for Neuroblastoma
· Celebrating 3 Years of Cancer Survival for Nathan McLean
Sat., May 22nd
10:30 am
(Run begins @ 10:00 am)
E. P. Tom Sawyer State Park
Food, Lemonade, Games & Crafts
*All proceeds go to the Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation (CNCF)*
(“Reach the Day” is the slogan for the Children’s Oncology Group)

     We are so excited about this new event and would love for all of you to be a part of it. The day will begin with an "unofficial" 5K run (not very competitive, but very fun)—walkers are welcome. There will be no entrance fee, but we are encouraging all runners/walkers to raise $100 (find 10 people to give $10). Next, we will have lunch, games and crafts for the kids (for a small donation), and even some music from our friend Heather Payne (formerly of Point of Grace). If you would like to run/walk or be a volunteer to help with the event (you can be a runner and a volunteer), please email Amanda McLean (mcleanplace@bellsouth.net). We will also be looking for people to donate food (hot dogs, chips, baked goods, etc.) and maybe even some things for a silent auction. More info to come about that so keep checking our site. This day will be about celebrating God's grace in helping us get through the last 3 years—He has been faithful and good, and we want to give Him the praise—and about raising money to help “reach the day”, the day that families don’t have to face pediatric cancer with fear, the day there is a cure.

Progress!!

Training is underway for all of our family partners.  Many miles of running/swimming/biking have taken place over the last couple of months.  Many emails of encouragement have been passed around amongst the participants.  Thanks for all your hard work so far, athletes!!!!  We also have lots of donations coming in!  We will update our progress soon.  Thanks for your support!

A Great Cause, the CNCF

'Tri' Fitness to Fund the Fight is our fundraiser for neuroblastoma research. We are donating all proceeds directly to the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation (CNCF).  The CNCF is an unmatched contributor to research in the neuroblastoma world.  Started by one lady ten years ago after losing their young son Nick to neuroblastoma, Pat Tallungan is a quiet fighter for the two-fold cause of being a support for other neuroblastoma parents and for raising money for neuroblastoma research designed to cure this cancer.  The CNCF hosts a neuroblastoma conference every year in Chicago to which the Witt's and the McLean's have been twice.  This conference assembles a world-class level of qualified neuroblastoma doctors and researchers.  Additionally the CNCF is probably the biggest contributor to the New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Treatment (NANT) and has given over $500,000 to them.  NANT is a consortium of pediatric cancer hospitals who are focused on new approaches to treating neuroblastoma.  They are a small, fast neuroblastoma clinical trials consortium.  We are very appreciative of their work.

Neuroblastoma

With a mix of fear, anger and tears - a few thoughts:  Many...  Many, sweet innocent little boys and girls have lost their lives to this thing.  It doesn't play very nice; it is a silent killer from the inside out.  You ought to read what the parents write on CaringBridge and the pictures they post of their children who are losing their battle with this disease.  Two of our boys are in remission, and Justin is in treatment for his first relapse with scans this week.  You fight neuroblastoma with just about all the chemotherapy a little body can take.  Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor type of cancer in children not including the brain tumors.  Stage 1, 2, 3 neuroblastoma is relatively curable but stage 4 "remains a significant clinical challenge."  Basically about half the children with stage 4 NB today that get the best medical care available survive into teenagers and beyond.

New Event

New Event in our fundraiser: The Glasgow Turkey Trot, Glasgow, KY November 1st!!!  Join us the Witts as we do our part through fitness for neuroblastoma research.  Anyone interested in participating in this event with us or sponsoring us in this event by making a donation on Ryan's behalf, please make your donation and/or sign up for the event, and then tell us about it!

Our Partners

The Ivester Family
Our inaugural partner family is the Ivester's from Dallas, Georgia.  Clint is a Sales Director with First Data Corporation. Clint and Rhonda graduated from North Georgia College & State University. Clint started endurance racing after being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 24 and completed his first Half-Ironman triathlon in 2007.  This is his first attempt at racing to raise funds for a cause.  The Ivester's have been great friends of the McLean's over the years.  Clint is outpacing us all in training so far.  Go Clint.

The Baumgartner Family
Greg Baumgartner is joining the Half-Ironman Team to help with our fundraiser.  Greg is an 11 year Navy Pilot, currently flying the C-9B (military version of the DC-9) in logistics flights across the globe, and currently stationed at the Naval Air Station in Whidbey island,Washingtion state. Greg has previously flown the MH-53E sea dragon for 3 years (big-time helicopter) and was an instructor pilot in Pensacola, FL for 2 1/2 years. Both he and his wife Merritt graduated from Bama. Merritt is a Physician's Assistant and they have two boys, Aden-5 and Hudson-2. Greg has recently helped another friend of his raise money for full-time Christian Ministry in missions work. Greg is being smart about his Half-IronMan training and has already joined a Master's Swim Class. Do it, Greg.

The Whittle Family

Welcome one more Half-IronMan participant to our fundraiser: Rodney Whittle of Louisville, KY. Rodney is a programmer at Humana Insurance Co. in Louisville, KY. His wife Sharon is a transplant to America from Ireland who loves to sew and work-out. They have one young married daughter and two grandboys. Rodney is a graduate of Furman University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a past bivocational pastor, two-year international missionary, and computer skills trainer. Rodney has jumped right into his training, as he said the other day "I hate feeling weak". Go get 'em Rodney.

The Shearin Family

A big thank you to the Shearin's from Louisville, KY who have joined our cause as a partner family. Jason, Christine, Liam, and Maddie are going to be joining Amanda (Nathan's mom) and Jordan (Nathan's big brother) in training for a 5K this Spring and will be fundraising with us for neuroblastoma research. Maddie is Nathan's very good friend and the entire Shearin family are good friends of the McLean's. When we first told them about our fundraiser they were very excited and said, "just tell us what we can do--we want to help." Go Shearin's!

Tell us what you think

We'd love to hear from you.