Go Brandy Go!

I haven't known Brandy for too long, just over a year. I met her through friend and neighbor Caitlin on a too-fun girl's night involving margaritas and sangria. And all though I haven't known Brandy that long or spent a ton of time around her, it didn't take long to know she's a special person with a lot of charisma and positive energy radiating from her. And, in my opinion, it takes a special person to take on her current challenge. Running a marathon. 26.2 miles to be exact. I know many people run marathons every year, but many do it for different reasons. Brandy's is inspiring and motivating. It even made me get up and take a little jog in the rain this evening with Juno. Brandy is running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Team in Training, for what I can imagine is going to be beautiful scenery when she sets off on May 1st in Big Sur, California.

Brandy has a personal connection for making this run. Her cousin's son lost his battle with Leukemia at just 4-years of age, and her uncle in-law, also lost his battle with cancer at 51.

I think most people have been in some way, shape or form, affected by this horrible disease. Whether it's personal, or a loved one. Both my grandfathers lost their battles to cancer. And recently, my cousin discovered he would also wage a war with this nasty opponent. We are hoping for a complete recovery, and if anyone can, he will. He has the positive attitude and support to fight this challenge.

But many of us, can't even imagine the challenges faced when battling this disease. So, I think it's amazing the dedication Brandy is putting towards not only training for the run, but also for the commitment to raise money to help find a cure.

And on that note, this past Sunday, we had the pleasure to participate in the Big Sur Team Fundraiser at Ormsby's in Atlanta. It was great fun, and I can't wait to find out how much money was raised!

In the meantime, we're all cheering: Go Brandy Go! And to those everyday who face challenges beyond the unfathomable. My personal cheer at the moment...Go Jason Go!

To learn more about Brandy's story and follow her journey to a cure, or on how to make a donation, visit: http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/BigSur11/bshannon