On Oct. 27, 2008, thousands of runners will gather in Ireland to run the Dublin Marathon. Of these, hundreds are a part of Team in Training, raising funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Jennifer Kirsh, of Great Neck, has joined Team in Training for the first time to try to make a difference in the lives of thousands affected by blood cancers. She will run 26.2 miles in the name of two very special people --- her dear friend Tali Zeevi-Trager and Jericho High School classmate Roger Madoff.

Team in Training is the world's largest endurance training program, dedicated to raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, by training participants for marathons, triathlons or cycle events. Since its inception in 1988, Team In Training has raised $800 million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary organization dedicated to blood cancer research and support. It has funded the research that created Gleevec(r), a revolutionary drug that targets cancer cells, and provides patient support like co-payment programs and support groups. The society aims to cure blood cancers and improve lives of patients and their families.

Although the cure rates for these diseases has increased, leukemia remains the number one killer of children under the age of 15, and during the last quarter century, lymphoma was the fastest growing cancer, with new cases increasing by more than 70 percent. The number of people living with a blood cancer in the U.S. over 823,349, and blood cancers will cause the deaths of an estimated 52,310 people in the U.S. this year.

Jennifer has raised over $8000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Her goal is to exceed $13,000! She needs your help!

Please donate! Every single penny helps! Two dollars per mile is $52.40; $1 per mile is only $26.20! You can send a check payable to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to Jennifer Kirsh 90 Knightsbridge Rd #1I Great Neck, NY 11021, or log on to http://pages.teamintraining.org/li/Dublin08/kirshie1 and donate on a secure site with a credit card right now!

What has touched Jennifer the most is the outpouring of gratitude and stories of people affected by blood cancers. Some of the stories are positive experiences of fighting and survival. Some have not been as lucky. Everyday when she starts her runs, she thinks of the people who inspire her --- heroes like Tali and Roger and consider what they have gone through or what they are going through. If she can help just one person beat his/her cancer, she's done way more than a few miles of running are worth.

Join Jennifer at Mario's Pizzeria, 43 Great Neck Road on July 18 to July 20 for a fundraiser! Enjoy great food, great people, great raffle prizes (thanks to local vendors for donating), and a great cause!