Hi Everyone:
Lisa and I recently had our initial meeting with The South Texas Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I met with Deborah Barker (Sr. Campaign Director) and Anne Temple (Campaign Manager) from the South Texas Chapter to discuss the
"Cruisin' For A Cure" motorcycle fund raising ride from San Antonio, TX and all the way around this great country of ours. The trip is intended to bring awareness but most of all donations to help cure leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers. If you know of someone that has or had one of these horrible diseases, you know how hard it is/was on them. I’d appreciate you sharing their story (click on comments section below) if you feel prompted. I really want to honor these people and their families as part of my trip. I’ll keep a list of their names with me so I don’t forget why and for whom I’m doing this.
Our meeting with
The South Texas Chapter of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society went better than I could have anticipated. Lucky for me, Lisa was with me to take notes and help me remember everything. I have a lousy memory. I couldn't do this without her. Deborah and Anne were so very helpful and I finally feel like this journey is starting to roll forward. Hopefully soon, with the help of my personal campaign manager Lisa West, we will have an official Leukemia & Lymphoma Society endorsed website up and running. I'm also working on getting vinyl stickers that display the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society logo that I can stick on my Honda Goldwing and possibly a borrowed motorcycle trailer for the trip as well as an LLS flag that can be displayed with the U.S. flag on the trunk of my bike.
My goal is to raise $50,000.00!! I'm looking for family, friends, people throughout the country, and corporate sponsors to help me achieve this. I hope those of you that read my blog site can help out in any way possible. I know times are economically tough right now but can you imagine how tough it is for the cancer patients, both children and adults, and their families that are affected by these diseases. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society helps support not only research to cure blood cancers but also supports the patient and families during their treatment. This is a huge relief for them both emotionally and financially.
The current itinerary of my trip is now final as of December 23, 2009 and has me going through various cities and hopefully we can meet up if time allows. I'm taking a month’s leave of absence to do this so I should be able to complete it within 30 days. My route will also include stops at cancer research centers, clinics, that the LLS is affiliated with and meet with patients who are going through treatment, if permitted. This will really be the tough part of the ride for me eotionally. I hope I can provide at least a little glimmer of hope in their lives and let them know that we are trying to help them find a cure.
The official "Cruisin For A Cure" website is officially activated: http://www.active.com/donate/cruisinforacure (as of December 29, 2009)
Start: Reposted new and final route 12/23/08
San Antonio, TX
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, South Texas Chapter
431 Isom Rd., Suite 125
San Antonio, TX 78216
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
John Mendelsohn, M.D.
1515 Holcombe Rd.
Box 91
Houston, TX 77030
Beaumont, TX
Lake Charles, LA
Lafayette, LA
Baton Rouge, LA
Biloxi, MS
Mobile, AL
Milton, FL – (brief visit with friend)
Tallahassee, FL
Tampa, FL
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
University of Florida
Attn: CEO & Center Director, William S. Dalton, M.D.
12902 Magnolia Dr., MCC-CEO
Tampa, FL 33612-9497
Sarasota, FL
Naples, FL
Miami, FL
Palm Beach, FL (LLS visit)
4360 Northlake Blvd.
Suite 109
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Port St. Lucie, FL (I-95) (family visit)
Jacksonville, FL
Savannah, GA
Florence, SC
Fayetteville, NC
Goldsboro, NC
Chapel Hill, NC
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Attn: H. Shelton, M.D.
102 Mason Farm Rd, CB 7295
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295
Durham, NC
Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center
Duke University Medical Center
Attn: Director: H. Kim Lyerly, M.D.
Box 2714
Durham, NC 27710
Richmond, VA
Fredericksburg, VA
Burke, VA (friend visit)
Baltimore, MD
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
John Hopkins University
Attn: Interim Director, Stephen B. Baylin, M.D.
401 North Broadway
The Weinberg Building, Suite 1100
Baltimore, MD 21231
Towson/Baltimore, MD (possible layover)
Dover, DE (visit with family and friends)
Wilmington, DE (Interstate 95 ) (brief visit)
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Chapter
100 West 10th St.
Wilmington, DE 19801
(800) 220-1617
Philadelphia, PA (brief photo stop-personal mission)
Lincoln Financial Field (Home of Philadelphia Eagles)
One NovaCare Way
Philadelphia, PA 19145
New Brunswick, NJ
Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Attn: Interim Director, Joseph R. Bertino, M.D.
195 Little Albany St.
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-2681
New York City, NY
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Columbia University
Attn: Director, Riccardo Dalla-Favera, M.D.
1130 St. Nicholas Ave.
Room 58
New York, NY 10032
New York City, NY
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Attn: President & CEO, Harold E. Varmus, M.D.
1275 York Ave.
New York, NY 10021
Great Plains, NY (visit with staff)
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Headquarters
1311 Mamaroneck Ave., Suite 310
White Plains, NY 10605
New Haven, CT
Yale Cancer Center
Yale University School of Medicine
Attn: Director, Richard L. Edelson, M.D.
333 Cedar St. Box 208028
New Haven, CT 06520-8028
New London, CT
Providence, RI
Walpole, MA (brief family visit)
Medfield, MA ( brief family visit)
Boston, MA
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Attn: Director, Edward J. Benz Jr., M.D.
44 Binney St., Room 1628
Boston, MA 2115
Portsmouth, NH
Portland, ME
Augusta, ME (capital)
Bangor, ME
Medway, ME (back towards New Hamsphire)
Millinocket, ME
Dover-Foxcroft, ME
Rumford, ME
Gorham, NH
Lancaster, NH
St.Johnsbury, VT
Montpelier, VT
Burlington, VT
Possible ferry crossing into New York from Burlington, VT or go north from Burlington, VT to Rouses Point, NY on County Rd. 2
Watertown, NY (taking Road 11 from Rouse Point)
Rochester, NY
Niagara Falls, NY
Buffalo, NY (Interstate 90 southwest)
Erie, PA
Cleveland, OH
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Case Western Reserve University
Attn: Director, 1100 Euclid Ave., Wearn 151
Cleveland, OH 44106-5065
Columbus, OH
Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ohio State University
Attn: Director, Michael A. Caligiuri, M.D.
320 West 10th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
Findlay, OH (I-75)
Ann Arbor, MI
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Michigan
Attn: Director, Max S. Wicha, M.D.
6302 Cancer Center
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0942
Lansing, MI
Battle Creek, MI
St. Joseph, MI
Chicago, IL
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Northwestern University
Attn: Director, Steven T. Rosen, M.D.
303 E. Superior St.
Suite 3-125
Chicago, IL 60611
Milwaukee, WI (possibly visit Harley Museum)
Madison, WI (capital)
Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Wisconsin
Attn: Director, George Wilding, M.D.
600 Highland Ave., Room K4/610
Madison, WI 53792-0001
Rochester, MN
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Attn: Director, Robert Diasio, M.D.
200 First St. SW.
Rochester, MN
Minneapolis, MN
University of Minnesota Cancer Center
Attn: Director, Douglas Yee, M.D.
MMC 806
420 Delaware St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Fargo, ND (I-94)
Bismarck, ND (I-94)
Lewistown, MT
Great Falls, MT
Helena, MT (I-15)
Missoula, MT
Coeur d’ Alene, ID
Spokane, WA (County Road 395)
Colville, WA (Hwy 20/North Cascades Hwy)
Okanogan, WA (Hwy. 20)
Twisp, WA (Hwy. 20)
Sedro Woolley, WA (I-5)
Seattle/Everett, WA (layover/visit)
Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington Cancer Consortium
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Attn: President & Director, PO Box 19024, D1-060
Seattle, WA 98109-1024
Vancouver, WA
Portland, OR
Salem, OR
Eugene, OR
Medford, OR
Redding, CA
Sacramento, CA
San Francisco, CA
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California San Francisco
Attn: Director, Frank McCormick, Ph.D.
2340 Sutter St., Box 0128
San Francisco, CA 94115-0128
Duarte, CA
City of Hope National Medical Center
Beckman Research Institute
Attn: Director, Theodore G. Krontiris, M.D., Ph.D.
1500 East Duarte Rd.
Duarte, CA 91010-3000
Los Angeles, CA
Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California Los Angeles
Attn: Director, Judith C. Gasson, Ph. D.
Factor Building, Room 8-684
10833 Le Conte Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1781
Los Angeles, CA
USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Southern California
Attn: Director, Peter A. Jones, Ph.D.
1441 Eastlake Ave., NOR 8302L
Los Angeles, CA 90089-9181
Orange, CA
Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California at Irvine
Attn: Director, Frank L. Meyskens, Jr., M.D.
101 The City Dr.
Bldg. 56, Route 81, Room 216L
Orange, CA 92868
La Jolla, CA
Rebecca and John Moore’s UCSD Cancer Center
University of California, San Diego
Attn: Director, Dennis A. Carson, M.D.
3855 Health Sciences Dr., Room 2247
La Jolla, CA 92093-0658
La Mesa, CA (brief family visit)
Yuma, AZ (interstate 8)
Florence, AZ (I-8, visit friend)
Tucson, AZ (Interstate 10)
Arizona Cancer Center
University of Arizona
Attn: Director, David S. Alberts, M.D.
1515 North Campbell Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85724
Las Cruces, NM
Roswell, NM
Lubbock, TX
Sweetwater, TX
Abilene, TX
Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX
Waco, TX
Austin, TX
Home: San Antonio, TX
Cities that are in bold are either brief visits or possible lay-over. Most travel will be during the day time but subject to change pending the weather, time constraints, and/or other factors.
If you are anywhere near these cities, let me know. I'm always looking for someone to talk to, a home-cooked meal and/or an overnight stay during the trip. This course will be approximately 9100+ miles.
Thanks for your support!
Pete West
pwestjr@gmail.com
http://petewestjr.blogspot.com
In Training is endorsed/sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. After talking with her about my idea, she was very supportive and is helping me with the logistics of this trip. The other two people that have encourage me are two children that had these horrible blood cancers. The first is a little girl by the name of Madison Suggs who is an Honored Hero for the South Texas Chapter of Team In Training. Thank God that Madison is in remission and we wish her and her family good health and prosperity. I was honored to have met Madison and hope to see her at the send-off party in May.
The other individual is a little boy from Bothell, Washington which is the area where Lisa and I use to live up until September 2006 before moving to San Antonio, TX. Many of you 
may have recently heard about Brenden Foster on the national news (CNN). Brenden was well aware that he would not have much longer to live but his focus was on another cause. That cause is homelessness. Brenden wanted to do something to help a specific group of homeless people that needed food in the Seattle, WA area. Recently because of Brenden, there has been a national effort from people all over the country that wanted to start gathering food up for homeless people throughout the country as well as the Seattle area. All of this because of a little boy who was more concerned about others, than himself. It is times like these that I feel ashamed of myself for complaining about certain things when my situation is so much better than others. It took Madison and Brenden to remind me of this. Writing this is beginning to get difficult for me because a few weeks ago, it was reported that Brenden passed away.I would have been so honored to have met him but since his passing, it is my hope to meet his family when I arrive in Seattle, Washington.
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