Hi All,
As some of you know my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer in 2007. Things did not look good and we thought he was going to lose his battle, but he persevered through countless chemo sessions and the will to survive. His inspiration taught me how important it is to never give up and fight like hell. He has inspired 20+ non-running family member to adopt a healthier lifestyle and run the Pine Line Marathon relay in Medford, Wisconsin in his honor in April. My mom has taken up running and quit smoking after 20 years and my dad has managed to get himself on the right track losing 15 lbs already. He was also the driving force that got me to the finsih line at the Philadelphia Marathon with a Boston Qualifying time. Below is the press release sent to the local newspaper. Please click on the link and help us fight the battle against cancer. Thank you so much for reading.
http://wi.pineline.llsevent.org/pledge/index.cfm?mid=RAYSRUNNERSBETH
What would make people go outside and run in freezing temperatures several times a week well before the sun even thought of peaking over the horizon? The reason resides in Medford, Wisconsin. Ray Deml’s battle against non-Hodgkins Lymphoma over the last couple years has inspired 24 people to run in his honor in the upcoming Pine Line Marathon relay on April 25 in Medford. Ray’s friends and family will be getting together to do something many of them thought they could never do. All five of his daughters will be running a leg of the race as well as grandchildren, sons-in-law and friends. Racers from as far away as California and Pennsylvania will run portions of the marathon. Beginners to ultramarathoners, teenagers to seasoned folks will be participating. Ray was well-known in the community for raising pumpkins so the runners will be donning “Ray’s Runners” t-shirts. In addition to participating in the race to honor Ray’s struggles against cancer, the runners are collecting donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Sincerely,
ElizaBeth Heier
