Dear Friends and Family,

Yes, I’m doing it again!  Helping to save lives, that is. As if running the San Diego Marathon and the San Jose half marathon last year to raise money to find cures for Leukemia and Lymphoma wasn’t enough, I’ve decided to take it up a notch and train for a triathlon this time.  Now I’ve proved to myself that this really does make a difference to the quality of people’s lives and often makes the difference between life and death for them, I have decided to train to take part in the Wildflower Triathlon in Monterey County in May. As usual, right now I’m not in such great shape – this time it’s my Achilles that is still swollen even after 4 months of physical therapy and NO RUNNING!  On top of that, I have a damaged nerve in my foot which is receiving weekly injections to kill it (better than the surgery alternative)!! However, I’ve started training and, once again, I am going to go out in the wind, rain or sunshine and train all week, every week, until the triathlon. Why am I doing this?  To raise more desperately needed funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), a national health agency dedicated to finding the cause, treatments, and cures for leukemia and related cancers such as Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma, and myeloma.  Leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, kills more children between the ages of 1 and 14 years of age than any other disease. 

Patients inflicted with these terrible diseases sometimes don’t make it, but when they do, it’s because of organizations like this.  This time I’m working with Joshua who is 8 years old and was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) on February 10, 2005.  Joshua has completed just over a year of his 3-year treatment. I really hope that Josh is as lucky as the lady, Dori, whom I met last year and manages to survive into adulthood – something he may never see. 

I have joined the LLS’s Team in Training (TNT), the largest endurance-training program in the US, which will provide the professional coaching, a training regimen, and the support and encouragement I’ll need; in return I’ve committed to raise a minimum of $3,000.

A triathlon seems well beyond my physical reach at the moment and I don’t have a clue how to swim the front crawl (freestyle I believe it’s called in the US) or how to breathe while putting my face in the water – yikes! But I’m determined to do it, even if I have to crawl across the finish line. With your help, I can also succeed in meeting my fundraising goal. Since the LLS is a non-profit organization, all donations are 100% tax deductible.    

Please join me in helping the cause (don’t worry, I’ll do all the training – and aching).  Please contribute by visiting my website: http://www.active.com/donate/tntsvmb/tntsvmbAWarr1, and donating online (it’s really easy!).  Alternatively, I have attached a donation form. If you have any questions, please call or email.

With sincere thanks and appreciation,

             Annie Warr

Your Pennies Will Shine at the 2007 CPC In-Gathering

The CHURCH PERIODICAL CLUB in-gathering will be Sunday March 4 at both services. We are all encouraged to save our pennies and bring them (or their value) to the in-gathering. Make sure your envelope or check is marked for CPC.

The CPC, founded in 1888, is an independent affiliated organization of the Episcopal Church subsidized solely by voluntary contributions.  Its mission is to provide theological and educational materials to a wide variety of mission efforts around the world including juvenile facilities, hospitals, libraries, schools, seminarians, prisons, alcohol/drug rehabilitation centers, retirement homes, seafarers’ institutes, and companion dioceses.

St. Philip’s is very fortunate to have the wonderful Jody Evenson bringing the important cause of the CPC to its congregation every year. Thank you Jody for being the selfless and sole representative of our church in the CPC all these years and for your tireless support of its vital mission. You are a true gem, Jody!

Further information about the CPC can be found in the literature tacked to the church bulletin board or by contacting Jody Evenson.

Joshua with his “cancer bead chain” – each bead represents a procedure related to his treatment