Tag Archive for: Charlotte charity running program

Kids Helping Kids

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Addison Ficker, Isabella’s Dream Team

Blow out some candles and have a piece of cake!  It’s our youngest Dream Team member’s birthday!  Happy 12th Birthday Addison! 

What an honor to have Addison as a part of the ISF Dream Team.  She started running in 3rd grade through her elementary school.  Ever since, she has participated in several 5K races, pushing herself to beat her previous time.

Addison and her family volunteered at the ISF 5K/10K race last year, and they were amazed at how ISF was making a difference in our Charlotte community.  During this same time, a dear family friend, Noah Hays (#noahstrong), was battling cancer after being diagnosed at the age of 15.  Witnessing this cancer fight was tough for Addison, and she wanted to find a way to help with pediatric cancer.  

Addison learned about the ISF Dream Team and she thought this was a perfect fit for her to run and give back.  The Dream Team combines her love of running and helping others.  She wants to do whatever she can to help raise money because “no one deserves to have to go through what he (Noah) went through.”

Addison is training for the ISF 10K on September 29th.  Through her training, she has received support from friends and family through donations.  She and her friends recently raised over $100 at a neighborhood lemonade stand they organized.  Her family also hosted a hot dog cookout that raised over $500.  

We are truly amazed at your dedication Addison!  Happy Birthday from the Isabella Santos Foundation and the ISF Dream Team.

Inspired to help support Addison?  Click here to make a donation to her fundraising page.  

ISF Dream Team

The ISF Dream Team, created in 2014, is a running group that assists you in training to run the race of your dreams.  You can train for a 5k, 10k, half marathon, half marathon relay, full marathon relay, or a full marathon.  You are provided a training schedule, invited to group runs, and inspired by a phenomenal team of people.  Not only will you meet a dynamic group of people, but you will also be inspired through your friends and family as they support you through the training.  The ISF Dream Team has raised over $400,000 to date, with the funds contributing to our local Charlotte pediatric cancer community.  If you want to join the ISF Dream Team, we would love to hear from you.  Please email us at info@isabellasantosfoundation.org.

Making Goals Together

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“I never knew the benefit of running with a group until I joined the Isabella Santos Foundation Dream Team.  I started running 5 years ago when a friend challenged me to run a 5k.  When I realized I could do it, I had the desire to improve.  However, it takes a lot of self-motivation to stay on track.  And it kind of gets boring when you are running by yourself and achieving a goal when no one else is aware of it.  

I “ran” across the Isabella Santos Foundation Dream Team 3 years ago.  I decided to attend a group run one day, and the rest is history.  I was pushed to be healthy.  I was motivated to run and cross train.  I learned how to properly train for a race.  I could not let anyone down so I tried to attend every Saturday morning group run.  I looked forward to the reward at the end of our Saturday runs –  Clean Juice with a new group of friends. But most importantly, it was incredible to see everyone cheer each other on when you are accomplishing your goals.  You celebrated together.  You laughed together.  You smiled together.  There’s no better feeling than to accomplish a personal goal and share it with others. 

I achieved a personal record on a half marathon in Fall 2017, and I never ever thought I could do it.  I owe it all to the ISF Dream Team.  There is no way I could have achieved this goal without everyone’s support, pushing me to improve my performance, and cheering me on.  I am forever grateful that I am a part of the ISF Dream Team.  

It’s not too late to join the Isabella Santos Foundation Dream Team.  I promise, you won’t regret it.” 

– Tammy Lowry

ISF Dream Team

The ISF Dream Team, created in 2014, is a running group that assists you in training to run the race of your dreams.  You can train for a 5k, 10k, half marathon, half marathon relay, full marathon relay, or a full marathon.  You are provided a training schedule, invited to group runs, and inspired by a phenomenal team of people.  Not only will you meet a dynamic group of people, but you will also be inspired through your friends and family as they support you through the training.  The ISF Dream Team has raised over $400,000 to date, with the funds contributing to our local Charlotte community.  If you want to join the ISF Dream Team, we would love to hear from you.  Please email us at info@isabellasantosfoundation.org.

2018 Isabella’s Dream Team: Seeking Volunteer Cancer Crushing Leaders

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After conquering many miles and many milestones over the past four years – we are Crushing Cancer again this year for your choice of several races. This team will be training in memory of Isabella Santos, who passed away from Neuroblastoma at the age of 7. We will train as one group starting in mid-July and then you can pick which race(s) would work best for you and your schedule!  The idea is to give you a choice- but also help cheerlead each other in our training schedules. Of course…along the training path- this determined group of runners will crush The Isabella Santos Foundation 11th Annual 5k/10K for Kids Cancer on Saturday, Sept 29th. The Dream Team tackled these races last year and raised over $110,000…and over $400,000 to date! Lets crush the pavement, crush our fundraising goal and crush cancer together again in 2018!

As many of you know from being part of this great group…the team work makes the dream work, so we are taking that motto and are implementing a new structure this year that will allow our passionate people to join forces to crush pediatric cancer together. This structure can apply to anyone that is interested in taking on a more active role on our dream team. 

We are seeking leaders. We are seeking cancer crushers. We are seeking passionate individuals with a desire to take their role with our team to the next level. We have committed  $5 million to establish The Isabella Santos Foundation Rare & Solid Tumor Program at Levine Children’s Hospital.  This program will impact more than just Charlotte as it will be the first of its kind in the United States. This is a volunteer based grassroots effort without the overhead of the large cancer charities.  Please email info@isabellasantosfoundation.org for more information

We are seeking leads for the following areas to help run our Dream Team in 2018:  (Please email info@isabellasantosfoundation.org for more information)

  • Fundraising LEAD: (Still Needed)
    • Help People Set Up FG Pages
    • Help Develop Fundraising Incentive Program
  • Training LEAD: (Fullfilled)
    • Develop Training Schedules
    • Coordinate Group Runs
    • Identify 2018 Race Options
  • Communication LEAD: (Fulfilled)
    • Coordinates Emails
    • Communicates Socials, Group Runs, etc. 
  • Recruitment LEAD: (Still Needed)
    • Help Coordinate Socials 
    • Attend local events/races to recruit members
    • Help Develop Referral Incentive Program
    • Work with Local Businesses for Monthly Partnership
  • “Hype Squad” LEAD: (Still Needed)
    • Coordinate and Develop Cheerleaders/Hype Squad for our DT members
    • Coordinate Cheering sections at local races and events
    • Coordinate the spotlight of Dream Team Members and Weekly speakers

If you are interested, please email us ASAP at info@isabellasantosfoundation.org

 

Fighting a Disease

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Jackson, 2016 Charlotte Half Marathon

Written by Tammy Lowry, Jackson’s Mom
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At the age of 12, my son Jackson Lowry decided to join the Isabella Santos Foundation Dream Team.  The Dream Team trains together as a group to run a half marathon, supporting each other and raising funds for ISF and pediatric cancer.  November 2016 was his first half marathon, and he did a phenomenal job.  He politely reminds me every day that he beat me, and he is going to beat me again this year.  His motivation might be to beat his mother in a half marathon, but the biggest joy I embrace is how he is learning about fundraising and supporting our community when there are kids a little less fortunate.  But then something happens that reminds me – – he knows what that is like.  He knows how it is to fight a disease.  He has Type 1 Diabetes, and it haunts us when we least expect it.
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Last Saturday was a critical part of our half marathon training.  We were meeting for a group run that is 10 miles of the actual race course.  Unfortunately, Jackson had a cross country meet that morning with his middle school – so we both did not attend the group run.   Instead, we got up on Sunday and hit the streets at 7:45am to accomplish this run together.  There is a part of the half marathon course that is a huge hill on Providence Road.  Jackson and I both agreed that once we run that, we are golden.
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We start off with our run, and he is in high spirits.  He is directing me which route to go, which streets to run on.  He was so pumped.  We pull that hill on Providence Road and when we reached the top he started to slow down.  Now he fell behind me in pace.  We were only at 3 miles – – we had a long ways to go.  I kept looking back at him to see what was going on, and I looped back around.  His blood sugar dropped significantly and he was having a diabetic attack.  I pulled out a bag of energy beans because that is all I had on me at the time.  He ate the entire bag and felt better immediately.  But when you deal with blood sugar highs and lows – it affects your attitude, your mood, and your motivation.  He lost all motivation after his attack.
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As he looked at me completely wiped out, he told me to go ahead and run.  I was hesitant at first.  I ran ahead of him and I would circle back around to see how he was doing.  Then I finally kept on running but talked to him on the phone as I completed my 10 miles.  He walked it behind me, but he kept going.
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The entire time I thought – – what is he going to say to me when we meet back at my car?  Will he be defeated?  Will he be upset?  How do I handle this as his mom?  I certainly know that you have good runs and bad runs, but will he understand that?  He is only 13 years old.
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We get back to the car and he looks at me and says, “I will get it next time.”  Yes you will Jackson, yes you will.  This weekend, we have an 8 mile run, and I know he will do it.  His heart is full of motivation and he won’t quit.
– Tammy Lowry, Jackson’s Mom

Running To Zero

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Isabella’s Dream Team week one is complete.  With our first group run behind us, one number gave us the inspiration needed behind every step, every bead of sweat and every sore muscle.  1843.  The number of missed kisses.  The number of missed goodnights.  The number of days since Isabella passed.    This season our team will run with an updated number on their arms every Saturday.  To remind us why we are running.  We run until that number is zero for parents of children fighting cancer.  It’s not to late to join.

Read the #Runningtozero blog below… written by Isabella’s Mommy around this time last year.  And why she started counting days.

 

#Runningtozero

Screen Shot 2016-07-31 at 5.28.01 PMI tossed and turned in bed. I knew my mind was racing. I had this feeling a lot back in the day and I know how to fix it. I had to write. I knew that if I did my mind would settle and I could sleep. But the “new” Erin convinced myself that my anxiety was due to the Dream Team 6 mile run at 6:30 am the next day. It was just nerves that I would oversleep or worse, not be able to do the run.

My mind and body tossed from 10:30 pm – 1:30 am.

I woke at 4:30 am and I knew it wasn’t running nerves. The day before while shopping I received a call from a new friend. Her Granddaughter just received results from recent scans and the neuroblastoma was aggressive, although I not sure aggressive accurately describes it. The neuroblastoma had become deadly. Palliative care options were given due to the rapid progression of the disease.

I tried to remain calm with the news because at this point in my life, I know that Doctors are really just guessing. You learn this when you too, have been given this option several times – yet your own daughter proves them wrong and makes a comeback. These Doctors are not God and you learn this the hard way. I gave the best advice I could give.

Tell the parents to read their daughter. If she wants to fight – then fight. If she is done, they will know and then the fight will be over.

We read Isabella each time we got devastating news. Doctors said she was done but her light showed “Green” so we fought. Sometimes it seemed “Yellow”, so we would cautiously continue. But when it turned “Red” for the first and only time – we stopped. She died quickly.

But I found myself Friday night at Nordstroms, crying. Sad and Angry.

It feels like we just made our decision. It was just yesterday right? I found myself at 4:30 am counting days.

1494Screen Shot 2016-07-31 at 5.40.54 PM

There is no way.

I began to freak out that another mother might soon be counting.

1 is the hardest number. But oddly 1494 still feels hard. When you see that number it may seem like a lifetime ago. But for me, it feels so recent. It’s 1494 missed kisses, missed goodnights, and missed smiles. I’m sure that number can be a hard motivator for some to take action. But to me, that number is as motivating as ever. Especially during these hot summer months when every number we see kills our motivation.

99 degrees, 100% humidity, 13.1 miles, 6:30 am, $500 fundraising goals. You may begin to wonder why you are doing this to yourself?

1494. That number motivates me because it’s an awful number. And next Saturday that number will be 1501. My number will continue to grow this season and I know that everything I’m doing, every time I ask for a donation, and every mile I run in this heat is so that someone like me will not have to write that number on their arm.

I will run and continue to ask until that number is zero.

#runningtozero

Isabella’s Mommy