Susan G. Komen 3-Day

Pegs' sister, Nik, asked that I let you know that she'll be walking 60 miles over the course of three days (October 5, 6, and 7) for an event called the Susan G. Komen 3-Day™. Net proceeds from the 3-Day support ground-breaking research and scientific programs, as well as grants for education, screening and treatment programs at both the national and local level in an effort to eradicate breast cancer. 

Please show Nik your support by making a donation in memory of Pegs.  To make a donation, go to The3Day.org, click on "Donate" and search for Nik's personal fundraising page under the name "Nikoleta Alexandropoulos".  Nik's goal is to raise $2,300; with your help, I'm confident we can get there.  Click here to visit Nik's personal page. 

Thanks to everyone in advance, and be sure to let me know if you or someone you know is participating in an event near you so I can help spread the word.

Mother's Day / Susan G. Komen Race

Today was Mother's Day in the US, which was a somewhat bittersweet event in the Alexanderpool household. I started the day by participating in the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia chapter's Race for the Cure event, a 5k run dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research and women's health care initiatives with all proceeds going to Delaware Valley-area institutions. Pegs and I ran the same race when we first arrived in 2010, so to say that it brought back a number of memories would be a bit of an understatement. There were an estimated 45,000 participants this year, many of them wearing pink tags indicating that they were racing in celebration of or in memory of someone. I saw a number of women who were clearly either undergoing treatment or just recovering from it, most of them surrounded by their friends and loved ones running with them. I was happy to support the event and celebrate the fight that so many of these women were clearly winning, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't also somewhat angry (or at least embittered) that Panagiota wasn't one of them. I found myself at the very front of the crowd of runners, and when the starting gun was fired, I took off much faster than my usual jogging pace. I was running almost recklessly, as if I wanted to get away from a guilty sense of resentment towards the happy survivors, when I saw Sofia on the side of the road with Yia Yia, Papou, Nik, Young, Alex and Eva. In a split second I remembered why I was really running, and a quick high-five from Sofia drove me to continue at the same pace through the rest of the course: not out of a sense of anger and frustration, but out of a sense of hope, love and concern for those who loved and were loved by Pegs. When I met up with everyone after the race, I asked Sofia if she knew why I had run in the race; she thought about it for a second before replying, "You ran to win, Daddy." I did indeed, and I think I could say the same for everyone who participated today. Happy Mother's Day, Pegs; we miss you.

View of the crowd at the race; May 13, 2012

After the race; May 13, 2012

Why I ran today; May 13, 2012

Why I'll continue to run; May 13, 2012

Race for the Cure-- Dallas

I participated in the Race for the Cure last month and walked in memory of Pegs and, our mutual friend, Steve's Mom as well as in celebration of my aunt who was recently diagnosed and is undergoing treatment.  I had participated several times in the past but this year was obviously different. It was the first year I actively raised money (over $900) for Susan G. Komen and the day of the walk itself was incredibly difficult and emotional...I walked by myself knowing this would be the case but there is no place else I would have rather been.  Miss you Pegs~

 

A Call to Arms

Although Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over, there are still a number of ways in which you can support the fight against breast cancer. For example, if you haven't done so already, we encourage you to donate to one of these worthwhile organizations or another group sponsoring research or assisting those afflicted with the disease:

• The Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
• The Philadelphia Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
• Stand Up 2 Cancer
• Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation

Below is a message from Jennifer Hart, who has been sponsoring breast cancer initiatives in Paris for a while now, most recently in Pegs' name; I'd like to applaud Jennifer for her efforts and to thank her and everyone else who has joined in this struggle:

Hi Lee,

I don't want to bother you but I wanted to share the fruits of some effort here in Paris. I had a fundraising page for breast cancer research for the Odyssea run called ForPegs.  We were away for the Toussaint and during that time the collecte came to an end. The final result was €230 for the Institut de Cancerologie Gustave Roussy.  I know this isn't one of the places you asked people to donate to but I wanted you to know that your wife's memory, legacy and spirit is still motivating people on this side of the pond.  I just mailed them a cheque as well for the bandanas I sold at the breast cancer run.  

Bisous,
Jennifer

I Remember When: I Met Pegs in NYC

An email to Lee from Hillary Norris:

Hello my sweet friend,

I participated in my first Race for the Cure last year and it was the most inspiring thing I have been a part of in my entire life!  I signed up again and walked this year on Oct 15 in Birmingham.  Seeing everyone banded together in pink ... walking or running, in costumes or crazy hats, pushing strollers or wheelchairs ... all of it was just breath taking.  I walked in memory of Pegs this year and during the 3.1 miles I spent that time thinking of the people that I know that have or had breast cancer and Pegs in particular.  Due to the wonders of the internet I feel like I knew her much better than I did.   I remember meeting her in NYC at dinner with you in Feb 2003 and I think that might have been the only time I saw her in person instead of in pictures on a computer screen.  However you my friend I have known since I came home from the hospital over 35 years ago.  I am so happy to have been invited to share in the wonderful website you have set up so I can get to know more about this amazing woman!  And I look forward to the day I get to meet little Miss Sofia in person.

love to you and Sofia,

Hillary

E-mail from Jennifer Hart (Wine and Whiner)

Hi there,

Brooke shared the link for the blog and after spending an emotional hour or so reading, remembering, laughing and copying recipes, I went back to my email and started re-reading numerous conversations Pegs and I shared. There are so many to go through, lots of them one-liners, making plans or middle of the night venting with our frustrations over being new mums!

I wanted to post something that encaptured her sweet, shy nature (even though she was hands-down one of the wittiest and funniest people I have ever met!).

This was from her on the 14th of October 2009. She wrote to me saying she felt pathetic because she wanted to retreat from people for a bit. I got mad and told her she wasn't allowed to EVER call herself pathetic again. Then she wrote this about Lee. It was always obvious to the Wine and Whiners how much she adored her husband. 

"I'm just taking a hard look at my life and trying to see how to change the things that bother me.  I'm a very shy person, I don't make friends very easily and Lee is my best friend.  He was my best friend for a long time before we started dating and I need my best friend now more than ever."

I'm so sorry Panagiota lost her battle with cancer. I'm angry, too. Not angry at her or anything silly like that, I am angry that this crap continues to happen.  I have been a warrior for breast cancer research long before Pegs was ever diagnosed, heck even before I met her, and I promise I won't stop.

On the 2nd of October, I ran a 10K race for Breast Cancer here in Paris.  I handed out pink bandanas for a donation to breast cancer research and also had people carry Pegs' name on their back. We all share the burden of finding a cure and I wanted to demonstrate that. That day, 22 of us honoured Pegs and ran in her name. I also raised over €500. The run was emotional as the news of Pegs' passing was so fresh and painful.  We had a glorious day for the run (I ran 10K, Jonathan ran 5K and the kids cheered us on).  Somewhere in the deep woods of the Bois de Vincennes, I said my goodbyes to Panagiota. 

She had a major impact on my life here in Paris and helped me through such a dark period after my son was born.  Her lasting imprint is that of an extremely loving, caring, funny, private and intelligent person. Paris was tainted for her (her words to me one day) but her leaving Paris did not taint any of our love for her.  She was the first person outside of hospital staff to meet my son James almost 4 years ago. I was lucky she was in my life, however short the time was.

Pegs once thanked me for fighting when she was in the midst of treatment. It made me awkward because I don't do it for thanks so she and I made a deal. The deal was that she keep kicking cancer's ass and I would keep trying to run it off the planet. Until I'm no longer able to live up to my end, I will keep running. A deal is a deal.

Sorry for rambling. I have SO much I want to say, so many things I want to share with Sofia (Karen Spove and I have been talking a lot about this) and I am afraid that I should have thought and edited before sending this but that's not really how I work so here's this jumbled mess of thoughts.  There will be more to come, I just was so emotional and inspired I HAD to send something right away.

Love and hugs to Sofia and Lee.  My daughter Milla is actually wearing one of Sofia's old outfits today...

xo

Jennifer

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As you're probably well aware, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. At the risk of exposing you all to even more pink ribbons (or, for American football fans, pink cleats and mouthpieces), we would like to encourage you to donate to and/or volunteer for one of the many organizations fighting and/or researching cancer (see a list of the ones we particularly support at right). Many of you have already made a donation to one of these organizations in Panagiota's name (see the list recognizing those individuals at right), which we greatly appreciate. If you are asked whether you are running/donating/volunteering on anyone's behalf, we would be very touched if you would say that you are doing so for Panagiota.  If you do run/donate/volunteer, please be sure to let us know so we can help sing your praises.

And now, to add some levity to what would otherwise be a decidedly serious post, below is an excerpt from our family blog, The Alexanderpools, from when Pegs and I participated in our local Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last year; I think that it really reflects Pegs' wit and spirit:

At the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k, after the MC introduced a local TV anchor:

Pegs: Yeah, that's why I came: for the celebrities.