I am participating in this event once again as a volunteer, event treasurer and team captain, in honor of my son, Ryan, who has bravely battled leukemia for the past 4 years, since he was only 22 months old. I am also participating in honor of all children (including dear friends and family) who have been diagnosed with pediatric cancer, as well as their families, in anticipation that one day we will find the cure for cancer and no child will ever have to endure what Ryan and other pediatric cancer patients have to endure. In 2010, Ryan relapsed after completing 3 years and 4 months of consecutive chemotherapy for his Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He was thought to be standard risk at the initial time of diagnosis and at the time of his relapse, they found that he carried a high risk genetic marker all along. He underwent a bone marrow transplant on Nov. 16th, 2010, and he is still recovering from that life-saving procedure. Ryan is my inspiration and he gives me so much strength, and I’d like to honor him by doing whatever I can to help eradicate cancer. I’d like to share some important facts with you about pediatric cancer: 1) Thirty years ago, pediatric leukemia patients only had a 5% survival rate. In just thirty years, thanks to research, that survival rate has been raised to 85%!!!! We need to close that gap-- and not just for pediatric leukemia patients; for all pediatric cancer patients. If it's possible to raise the survival rate by 80% in just 30 years for pediatric leukemia patients, it's totally possible to raise that rate to 100% and to also raise the survival rates for other pediatric cancer patients DURING OUR LIFETIME. 2) Pediatric cancer research is severely & critically underfunded! In fact, it's practically ignored! Unfortunately, the National Cancer Institute allots only 3% of its annual budget for pediatric cancer; likewise, the American Cancer Society only contributes less than half a percent of their annual donations to pediatric cancer. 3) Fact # 2 is particularly disturbing when you take into consideration the fact that one in every 330 children in the United States develops cancer by the age of 19, and each year cancer kills more children between 1 and 20 years of age than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS combined! Please help conquer kids’ cancer by contributing to the St. Baldrick's Foundation via Team Ryan! You can count on this donation being used responsibly. The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. In 2010 alone, they gave over $14 million – that’s more in grants for childhood cancer research than any other organization except the U.S. government. And all because nearly 38,000 people shaved their heads! ‎"Together we can solve big problems with small actions." --- Let's group together and raise necessary funds for researchers to find a cure for cancer. We CAN do it! On behalf of some very special and brave kids, including my son Ryan, thank you for your support!