'Miles for Mitzie' First Ever Team Event

Last Saturday, May 7 we FINALLY got the opportunity to bring an awesome group of people together and help raise awareness and money for the Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Fund at Houston's, MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The run/walk was the Sprint For Life 5K and the Sprouts Sprint 1K.  Here are a few of the pictures from the event:

Most of the team at the end of the race!  I think for our very first year we had an awesome turnout!

The baby girls who are all named after their grandma in heaven!  What fun little blessing to have them all together participating in this event in her memory!

All in all I think the event went really well.  It was our first one so we definitely walked away with tons of ideas for next year. 

Here are a few highlights from the event:

- The largest team out there had nearly 140 members!!  Awesome!

- The most dollars raised by a group or individual was $15,000!!!

- The most spirited team came dressed as the cast of characters from 'The Wizard of Oz' and they walked the entire route together carrying a large rainbow with them!  Their costumes were great!

- 92 Survivors participated in the race!! The most ever!!

'Miles for Mitzie' Highlights:

- We had 25 people signed up with our team (the most ever for Miles for Mitzie - so far!!)

- Our youngest participants were Mitzie's three little granddaughters (12mos, 10mos, and 8mos old) who all wore team shirts for their Grandma!

- Youngest runners were Matthew Hare (5 years), Blake Mazeikas (5 years), and Audrey Hare (3 years).  They all completed their first race ever, the Sprouts Sprint in honor of a woman they've never even met - so cool!!

Sprint for Life will be on our minds for several months to come now.  If you participated and have some ideas of your own feel free to share!

Stay tuned for all kinds of different events to come, too!  Hopefully there will be a way for everyone to get involved in raising awareness and research funds for ovarian cancer and finding a cure to this disease!

Yayyy Miles for Mitzie!!



Marching On...

I just finished my first half Ironman for Team in Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Let me tell you - amazing does not even describe that experience.

Here is the link to my race report to see how it went and check out pictures and even video of the finish line!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/txg/lstri11/lmazeikas

That's a HUGE accomplishment for me, but from where I stand, I hope to make it a small stepping stone in my efforts. 

Check out the lyrics to this song I just heard from One Republic/Timbaland called 'Marching On'....I think it describes my state of mind right now:

---That somehow,
We'll keep moving on.

There's so many wars we fought,
There's so many things we're not,
But with what we have,
I promise you that,
We're marching on,
(We're marching on)
(We're marching on).

For all of the plans we've made,
There isn't a flag I'd wave,
Don't care if we bend,
I'd sink us to swim,
We're marching on,
(We're marching on)
(We're marching on).

For those doubts that swirl all around us,
For those lives that tear at the seams
We know,
We're not what we've seen,

For this dance we'll move with each other.
There ain't no other step than one foot,
Right in front of the other.

There's so many wars we fought,
There's so many things we're not,
But with what we have,
I promise you that,
We're marching on,
(We're marching on)
(We're marching on).

For all of the plans we've made,
There isn't a flag I'd wave.


Next month is the Sprint For Life 5K dedicated just to the woman who has inspired it all.  I hope to have a huge turnout in 'Miles for Mitzie' shirts designed by my sister.  I truly believe this will be the start of something great! 

Miles For Mitzie's Birth-race?

I just had to share pictures of my mom at the first ever 'Miles For Mitzie' team event.  It was the Terry Fox Run in Houston around September of 1999.
 

Here's mom with Lisa Leslie

The cheer squad!!

Some family friends showing their support. 



  I know she felt so loved that day.  What an awesome day!  Let's make it happen again!!  Sign up for the MD Anderson Sprint for Life 5K benefitting the Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Fund!  I want 'Miles for Mitzie' to be the biggest team out there. 

Here's where you can sign up - as a team - search for 'Miles for Mitzie'

http://www.mdanderson.org/how-you-can-help/community-events/sprint-for-life/index.html