In April, 2002, Mindy Davidson of N. Seaford, vice president of the Greater Long Island Running Club, will participate in the St. Anthony's Triathlon in St. Petersburg, FL as a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training (TNT) Program.

The triathlon is an Olympic Distance Triathlon (1.5K Swim, 40K Bike, 10K Run). Davidson is participating in the event in memory of Jeffrey Uschok, who died in November of 2000 at the age of 33 after a very short battle with leukemia. Uschok was a graduate of Massapequa High School and Adelphi University, and was a member of their soccer teams. He and his wife had been married only one year at the time of his death.

Davidson's goal is to raise over $5,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, as well as improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Thanks to research, survival rates for children diagnosed with leukemia is over 80 percent, and adult patients with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma have an overall survival rate of 40 percent.

2002 will mark Davidson's 15th anniversary as a runner. She would like to celebrate that anniversary by giving back to the community and raising desperately needed funds for a truly worthy cause.

Those who are interested in helping Davidson reach her goal, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society find cures, please send a check payable to: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Mindy Davidson, PO Box 1172, N. Massapequa, NY 11758. Donations are tax deductible. Make sure to include name, address and e-mail address. Corporate sponsorships accepted. Please call 520-9481 for more information.