"Running for Answers"

I run because there aren't always answers

Why is an 18 year old diagnosed with cancer, before he even graduates high school, just when he's about to embark on his bright future?

Why is a mother and wife lost before she can get to know her beautiful grandchildren?

How can a woman be clear of cancer and not 6 months later it's back and more aggressive than before?

These are just some of the questions I've asked over the past decade.  They, and many others, remain unanswered.

In a lot of ways cancer doesn't make sense.  There is a great deal we don't know about the science of cancer.  And there is a lot we don't understand about its presence in the lives of those we know and love.

I don't expect to learn the answers to questions like the ones above; why cancer happens to a particular individual will never make sense.  I do, however, have hope that we will be able to answer other questions about cancer.  I believe in the community of great and passionate scientific minds that are constantly asking questions and pushing for answers.  I support the American Cancer Society so they can support these scientists.  Because of them, one day we will no longer be plagued by the "why" questions.  These scientists will not answer them for us, but their discoveries will mean we won't have to ask them in the first place.


I run for the ACS to find answers

It seems that most people are aware the American Cancer Society funds cancer research.  It's for good reason that the ACS's role in cancer research is so well recognized (although it's not the only way they spend the dollars they raise, as I've been describing in other posts).  The way in which they are dedicated to finding cures is truly impressive.

Since the 1940s the ACS has invested over $3.6 billion in the work of researchers who study cancer development, cancer treatment, and related biology.  In that time they have provided funding to 46 people who went on to receive a Nobel Prize.  Impressive to say the least!  See the list and learn more about their work here.

There is currently over $7.1 million in active research grants in the state of Minnesota alone.  I'm proud to say this includes 5 projects at Mayo Clinic.  If you're interested in learning what kind of research is being funding and where, check out the details here.

The pay-out from these investments are measured in the advances that have been made in cancer treatment, the preventative measures becoming more common place, and the decreasing rates of yearly cancer deaths.  As the science continues to advance we'll continue to see the effects in our families and our communities.

If you'd like to support the research and other programs of the American Cancer Society, please visit my personal fundraising page to make a donation.