Two Years Gone

Two years ago, my husband took his last breath as his body finally gave out after battling leukemia for 4 years.  While his memory and his presence live on for me, I am deeply saddened by the fact that someone so loved is gone forever because of cancer.

I started fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society after Tyler was first diagnosed with cancer, but I continue in his memory.  It is one of my deepest passions to make a difference in this battle against cancer and stop the loss of our loved ones.

If you share this goal, please help me by donating at http://bledsoebattle.com.  Together we can ease the heartache caused by this insidious thing called cancer.

Shop for a Cause

It's time to shop; but this time, shop for a cause.

I am happy to tell you that Macy's is partnering with LLS by offering 25% off for shoppers with the $5.00 purchase of a Macy's shopping pass for Saturday, August 25, 2012.

Anyone with a $5.00 Macy's pass can shop at any Macy's and get 25% off all purchases including regular, sale and clearance items (10% off electronics, watches, furniture and mattresses).

Not a bad way to shop especially with back to school coming up!

100% of the shopping pass proceeds will help fund lifesaving cancer research plus you get a chance to win a $500 Macy's Gift Card!

I might suggest not waiting until the last minute. Go online now and purchase a $5.00 pass ($5.00 is the minimum donation but feel free to donate more)! The passes can only be used in-store and not online.

It's programs like this, people like you and the generosity of companies like Macy's that enable LLS to be able to fund the cancer research that saves lives every day.

You can purchase your passes here.

Happy Shopping!

Why I Run

When people ask why I am running away to Madrid, I have to share my story about the Bledsoe Battle and the amazing man that I shared the battle with. While I couldn't fight the cancer myself, I can certainly do something to make a difference.

--> I'm running 26.2 miles to honor my husband and the courageous battle he fought against leukemia. When it gets hard and my body hurts, I will remember watching Tyler decide to fight each and every day.

--> I'm training up to 5 days a week to inspire others to help fight cancer with me. The dollars we raise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society are used to aid patients in their battle and to fund promising new research for blood cancers. I pray that each new discovery helps keep another patient from suffering and helps somebody reach remission.

--> I'm punishing my body with 5-6 hours of running in April in hopes that new research helps some other wife to keep her husband for a long and happy life. No one should lose a loved one to cancer and a happy marriage should get to last longer than 4 years.

--> I'm pushing myself further than I ever thought I could run because I have discovered that each of us has a wellspring of strength inside us. If my strength can be a weapon to help protect my loved ones, both those lost and those that are currently fighting, I will use it in any way I can.

--> I will ask each and every person I know if they will help me in this battle. I can do the run, but I need your help to raise the money to fight against blood cancers. Will you donate? Will you share this message with everyone you know to help me remember Tyler in the best way I can?

To donate, please visit http://bledsoebattle.com
To read the story of our battle, please visit http://bledsoebattle.blogspot.com

Thank you for joining me in this battle!

In loving memory of Tyler Bledsoe...

Taking the Next Step - Ole!

Yesterday morning, I agreed to do something that I never wanted to do. 

I've always liked running in races, but since I am not particularly good at training I like to keep my races to 5 miles or less (preferably less).  However, since the time that Tyler was diagnosed with Leukemia, I have been keeping my eye on the Team in Training (TNT) program offered by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  This is their most visible fundraising program and their most successful after 22 years of helping people of all ages and abilities to compete in amazing events.

Yesterday morning, I signed up to run my very first marathon next spring... in MADRID, Spain!  I will be training with the coaches from LLS and going to practices with the rest of the participants, but would love to have some of my friends and family join me.  If you have ever wanted to run a marathon, I'd like to invite you to join me in Madrid next April.  I figured that if I wanted to make a statement in Tyler's honor, I should go big and make it in Europe!

Tyler loved running and was a cross country athlete in his school days, so I figured that a marathon was the best TNT event for me to choose.  I never wanted to run that far (and still think that people that do might be crazy), but I am excited for my newest adventure!  If anyone wants to head out for a run over the next 6 months, feel free to invite me along.  I think I'm going to need all of the help that I can get with my training!

The Big Climb

I am pleased to share that, despite my lack of posts in the last two weeks, I did indeed survive the Big Climb.  I think my love of playing soccer paid off well for climbing stairs, since I was able to use my soccer muscles to power up two steps at a time part of the way.  Then when I got tired, I would drop back to one step at a time.  The biggest challenge was that my heart was POUNDING from the exertion!  I think I might have to find a little bit more exercise to get my heart muscle into better shape if I try to do this again.

Just so you get the full picture of how crazy I was to join in the Big Climb, I thought I would post a picture of the building from where we started.  The stair climbers went from 8:30 in the morning through 5 or 6pm. 

They assign each of us to a 15 minute start time on one of two stairwells.  I opted for the non-racing stairwell and heard that it was the more friendly one!  Along the way in the stairwell, we saw signs honoring people affected by blood cancers.  It's quite a neat way to remind us of the cause and keep motivating the climbers to take another step.

When we finished all 1,311 steps (ACK!!), we were able to have a small post race snack in a room at the top of the tower.  Once I had recovered my vision (just kidding!), I enjoyed the view of the Puget Sound and thought that those with offices along that wall must get no work done because they are so busy enjoying the view of the waterfront and the water.

I was very thankful to be a member of Team Robel and participate in the climb this year.  Yanni Robel has been battling leukemia herself and has had to deal with several complications.  I am awed by her determination to keep fighting and look forward to welcoming her to our Light the Night walk this fall.  On her Big Climb bib, she wrote that she was walking in memory of Tyler and in honor of our CML friends.  While I wish that I knew them for some other reason, I am honored to be involved with this CML community!  There are some amazing people that we would not have met without the disease.

Although I wish Tyler could have been there in person, he was definitely there in spirit keeping me going up those stairs.

Stairway to Heaven

This Sunday, I will be participating in the Big Climb at the Columbia Tower.  This is another one of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's great fundraising events and involves 6000 people climbing 69 flights of stairs in one of Seattle's tallest buildings.  It's the first time that I have participated in this particular event, so I am a little bit nervous about how much my legs will hurt after climbing 1,311 stairs.  They say that the top racers can finish in as little as 8 minutes, but I am pretty sure I will be way, way after that mark!

I'll start climbing around 12:45, so please send me a little virtual strength around that time if you can!

A Great Honor

I was recently asked if the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society could select Tyler to be an Honored Patient at this year's Light the Night walk.  The honored patient serves as the face of the mission and allows fundraisers and businesses to really understand the kinds of people that are touched by blood cancers.  Through my tears, I said that I would love to help Tyler inspire many more people to fight blood cancers!

More on this later, but I can't wait to see the walk brochure with his face on it!

Shop to the Gap Give & Get sale and help fight cancer!

If any of you are planning to spend Veteran's Day cruising the sales, I want to suggest that you take advantage of a very special sale at the Gap family of companies: Gap Give & Get Supporting LLS. By using this 30% off coupon at Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana republic Factory Stores, and Old Navy (tough, I know!), you actually help the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) develop cures for cancer. For every purchase made using this coupon between November 11th and 14th, 5% of your purchase will be donated to LLS!

It sounds to me like this would be a GREAT time to start my Christmas shopping... 30% off for me, great gifts for my family, and 5% to LLS!

Get the coupon at http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/ and help us to spread the word!

Light the Night 2010

The 2010 Light the Night walk was AMAZING!  The weather was the best we've seen in our 4 years of participating with it being mild enough to be in a t-shirt the whole time.  We walked in honor of a great many people who have battled blood cancers: Tyler, Hans, Darren, Cathy, Jim, and Rose.



Team Firefly 2010



Team Tent

We had about 60 registered walkers for Team Firefly and raised over $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which made us the #1 Friends and Family team.  I think we still have a chance to pass up the corporate team in front of us for #1 team overall, but we will see how things fall out with the final donations being counted over the next month.  I think we were only about $500-1000 behind them and I know a few more donations came on the day of the walk.

I apologize that I didn't get more pictures of individuals, but I think I will have to designate a team photographer at next year's walk.  There are too many things to do and too many people to talk to at the walk!

My sister posted a few more photos on her blog too, if you want to see more photos from our evening.

Thank you so much to all of our walkers and all of our donors.  We are honored by your generosity in both time and money.  Come join us again next year for a lovely evening stroll that helps fight cancer!

Give and Get 30% Off at Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy

Give & Get is Here!

Enjoy 30% Off and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society gets 5% of what you spend
Shop 4 days only, August 26–29

At Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Banana Republic Factory Store, and Gap Outlet in-store

Use the coupon at http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/ to get your discount.

Light the Night

It's that time of year again!  We are planning to walk around Greenlake on the evening of Saturday, September 25th with as many friends and family members as we can convince to join us.  Our goal is to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and support their efforts to find new cures for blood cancers.

If you can join us for an evening stroll, please go to http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL10/TeamFirefly and click JOIN at the bottom of the page.

If you can't join us, please donate at http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL10/MBledsoe
Many thanks for your continued support!
 
Mandy and Tyler

June Card of the Month

With all of the craziness this spring, I had gotten far behind in shipping out the cards for a cause that everyone had purchased.  Now that I am finally caught up, I wanted to post the June card (and a bonus card option since I missed May's card). 

Before I add in pictures of the cards, I did want to thank the many supporters we have had so far.  I posted a $200 donation to our Light the Night team from the Cards for a Cause program!  Thank you for helping us fund research into new cures for leukemia.  As you know, Tyler has already been through the 4 FDA approved treatments for leukemia and we are still looking for new options.  Some of the research that is funded by grants from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society may eventually be an option for Tyler, so I want to get the scientists the funds they need as soon as I can! 

Our fundraising goal this year is $10,000 and every bit of help that you can give us will make a difference!  If you would like to join us in our quest, contact me for more information about how to join our Light the Night team.  We would LOVE to have you walking with us at Greenlake!

Now for the cards...

You may purchase as many copies of the cards as you want. If you purchase 5 or more cards, you will receive a bonus card of another design in your package. Each card is only $2.50, which includes a matching envelope.

June's first card is a galloping horse birthday card on a blue base, with brown toned accents.  It is a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card and perfect for a guy or a horse lover.

The second card this month is a vivid pink color with a branch of spring blossoms.  The mat for the flowers is a pale green color and the flowers have a raised glossy texture.  This card is also 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" and perfect for the women in your life.

To purchase the June cards, please click on the Add to Cart buttons. If you receive our post via e-mail, you can reply to the e-mail with the number of cards you want. If you see us in person, you can also just give us a check or cash for your cards.

Also, I've got other sentiments that can be used on these cards, if you want something other than birthday cards!  You can use the notes section to tell me what combination of cards and messages you want, or contact me directly with your requests.

Thanks for helping us to continue our fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

Team in Training Cardmaking Fundraiser

My friend Pam has joined Team in Training, through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, to raise funds to fight cancer while pursuing her goal of riding in a century bike ride. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. They have invested more than $680 million in research since 1949 - over $69 million in 2009 - specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

Please join us in a Create-a-Card fundraiser to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team in Training. Each participant will be able to make 6 cards, in 3 different designs for only $15. I will also donate 20% of any sales at the event (my earnings) to Pam's Team in Training efforts.

If you can't make it to the event, you can still donate directly to Pam by clicking on her name above, but I hope to see you there!

Thanks for helping us raise money for this worthy cause!


When: Sunday, April 25, 2010 2:00 PM
Price: $15.00 per person

Where:
Lakewood Seward Park Community Center
4916 S Angeline St
Seattle, WA 98118

Last Chance for the March Card of the Month

Don't miss out on the March Card of the Month. It will only be available until March 31st.

To purchase cards and help us meet our goals for fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, please visit http://bledsoebattle.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-card-of-month.html

March Card of the Month

To continue our fundraising efforts for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we have selected a new card to sell on the blog this month. You may purchase as many copies of this card as you want. If you purchase 5 or more cards, you will receive a bonus card of another design in your package.

March's card is the Thank You card pictured on the left. It is an 4-1/4"  x  5-1/2" card with a brown base and teal accents.  Each card is only $2.50, which includes a matching envelope.

To purchase the March card, please click on the Buy Now button below. If you receive our post via e-mail, you can reply to the e-mail with the number of cards you want.

Thanks for helping us to continue our fundraising!
 

Last days to order the January Card of the Month

If you are interested in purchasing the card of the month, you have until Sunday, January 31st.  Thanks to those who have helped us to kick off our fundraising efforts in 2010!

To order, go to http://bledsoebattle.blogspot.com/2010/01/card-of-month-january-2009.html and click on the Buy Now button.

Thanks again!

Card of the Month - January 2009

To continue our fundraising efforts for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and offer friends/family a new way to support our fundraising efforts, Tyler and I have selected a card to sell on the blog this month.  You may purchase as many copies of this card as you want and we look forward to sharing Mandy's cards with you, while pursuing our fundraising goals.

If you purchase 5 or more cards, you will receive a bonus card of another design in your package.

January's card is the Medallion Thank You card pictured on the left.  It is an ivory colored card, with a matching envelope. To purchase the January card, please click on the Buy Now button below.

Thanks for helping us to continue our fundraising!

Save on your Christmas Gifts and Help Leukemia Patients!

The Gap, Inc. is offering their Give and Get special again this month between Nov 12th and 15th.  You get 30% off your purchase at the Gap, Banana Republic, or Old Navy AND they will give 5% of your purchase to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  That's a win/win in my book!

Go to the website below for the coupon to use in store:
http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/
Please help us maximize this gift by passing this message along to everyone you know!

Light the Night 2009 Photos

Our 2009 Light the Night team was out in force on Saturday, September 26th.  It was a beautiful evening and an amazing opportunity for us to celebrate how far we've come.  Tyler's original transplant date was around this time last year, so we were focused on the pre-transplant tests and the massive fundraising effort during last year's walk.

This year, I was delighted to celebrate how far we have come!  Tyler is in remission and looking much like his old self.  As promised, I have finally posted a picture of him with his new crop of hair!  He and I carried a Gold balloon at the walk in honor of Cathy Frank, who lost her battle to leukemia several years ago.

We had participants of all ages, which added to my enjoyment of the evening.  Mark and Vicki told their son that he was going to be in the Light the Night "parade" which was just about perfect.

Our team has raised over $4600 so far, which is FANTASTIC!  I have set some personal goals that will prompt me to keep working a little bit longer on my fundraising, so I am going to be sending out some e-mails with more details when I have them.  If you wanted to donate, but haven't you can click here to contribute the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on behalf of our team.  I'm also collecting wine for an upcoming wine raffle, so you can send any spare bottles my way!

Both Tyler and I are appreciative that so many friends and family members were able to join us for a lovely evening walk.  We could not have asked for better weather or better company!

Thanks again to everyone who helped to make the evening a success for us!

Strike Out Leukemia!

Strike Out Leukemia Night
Angels vs. Mariners
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 - 3:40 p.m.

Enjoy a summer afternoon at Safeco Field while supporting a great cause! Catch the Mariners at a discounted price, exclusive to you through this online offer. A portion of the proceeds from tickets purchased through this special offer will benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Tickets can be purchased online and credited towards our Team Firefly fundraising for Light the Night!


DEADLINE TO PURCHASE: Monday, August 31 at 5:00 p.m.

Game Date:
• Wednesday, September 2 vs. Los Angeles Angels - 3:40 p.m.

Pricing:
• $15 View Reserved (normally $20)
• $32 Field Level Seating (normally $40)
• $7 from each ticket sold benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!


***Special Note for our Friends and Family***
In order to credit Team Firefly's fundraising efforts, you must send an email with the subject: MARINERS NIGHT to wilma.comenat@lls.org with the following information:

1. Ticket purchaser name
2. Number of tickets purchased
3. Participant name you want credited (Mandy Bledsoe or your name if you are participating)
4. Light the Night: Team Firefly