Three times for the cure!

My neighbor and good friend Cheryl is walking again this year in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. She has walked in the past and Chris and I had gone down to DC several times to be with her during some portion of her walk. Every year this raises a huge amount of money for local research. If you can donate please go to her page located HERE. Thank you!

Three times for the cure!

Thanks for visiting my Avon Walk page. I’ve committed to participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This will be my third year walking for the cure. I will be walking in honor of my friend Chris DeWitt who died of Breast Cancer on 9/11/2007 after a long 3 year battle.

The 2 day walk is a big commitment, but breast cancer is a big disease, one that still affects far too many people. I’ll be just one of thousands of people that will walk up to a marathon and a half over a weekend, raising awareness of the cause and educating even more people.

But, I can’t do it without your help. You may know someone who is currently fighting the battle with breast cancer, someone who has beaten it or unfortunately you may know someone who died from the disease. You can help make the biggest difference by making a donation.

Although I’m required to raise at least $1,800 in donations to participate in the 2 day walk, I plan to raise as much money as I can with your help. The money I raise will be managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade to help provide access to care for those that most need it, fund educational programs, and accelerate research into new treatments and potential cures.

Please help me reach my goal and make a difference to many lives in the Washington DC area.

We can beat this disease - together.

You can make a donation to my fundraising campaign right here on the website by clicking on "Click Here to Support Me." If you prefer to write a check, just contact me and I'll send you the information and form.

As I prepare for this exciting event, I plan to update this page frequently so that all my supporters can follow my progress, so please visit often. While you're here, you might want to spend some time on the site to find out more information on why this event is so important, and the organizations and people that will be helped by the money we all raise.

Thank you

Lady Warrior lacrosse selected to finish fourth in preseason poll

ANNVILLE, Pa. --- The Lycoming College women’s lacrosse team has been selected to finish fourth in the 2009 Middle Atlantic Conference preseason poll that was voted on by the league’s coaches and released on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

The FDU-Florham Devils earned the top-spot in the preseason poll, earning eight first-place votes and 130 points. The Devils finished their 2008 season with a record of 16-3 after entering the first-round of the NCAA Tournament. The Devils return standout Amanda Wayne, the MAC Player of the Year and a first team IWLCA All-Region selection. She led the team with 63 goals, 23 assists and 86 points.

Elizabethtown College was voted second, earning 125 points, including four first-place votes. Messiah College was ranked third (107), while MAC newcomer Eastern University was selected fifth (100). Widener was sixth (76), while Manhattanville was selected seventh (66). King’s College (57), Misericordia (56) and Wilkes (48) were eighth through 10th. Arcadia and Alvernia universities round out the voting with 35 points apiece.

After finishing the season 9-8 overall, the Lady Warriors reached the conference semifinals and fell to top-seeded FDU-Florham. Returning for Lycoming at midfield will be junior Justine Titko, who scored 23 goals and 10 assists last season. She also led the team in groundballs (32). On defense, Lycoming returns junior Danielle Gargiulo, last year’s caused-turnover leader (17).

“We have a lot more depth at the midfield this season,” states new head coach Erica Brown. “There are always seven people on offense that can score, pass and assist. On defense, Gargiulo and Alex DeWitt bring height and Morgan Reale brings speed. Off the draw, Titko, Bri Robinson, Sammi Jo Bell, Ashley Collins and Ashley Steel are all capable of getting the draw-control. Freshman Grace Gargiulo will also be getting runs on the midfield.”

The Lady Warriors open their season on Tuesday, March 3 at home against York College of Pa. Draw time is set for 3 p.m.

2009 Middle Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll

1. FDU-Florham 130 (8)

2. Elizabethtown 125 (4)

3. Messiah 107

4. Lycoming 101

5. Eastern 100

6. Widener 76

7. Manhattanville 66

8. King's 57

9. Misericordia 56

10. Wilkes 48

11t. Arcadia 35

11t. Alvernia 35

New phone number

I have had 2 phone lines in my house for 10 years. The primary one 301.662.5453 was the house line and after 6 months of monitoring the usage of incoming and outgoing calls I decided that I no longer needed to pay $45 a month to have telemarketers call and hang up on me!!! It is gone. Just like that. Since I already had another number that I used primarily for work I just decided to use that for every day use as well. You can now reach me or any of the boys at:

301-662-0126
or
1-800-214-7049

Home from a trip

This week took its toll on me. I had to go on a business trip to Detroit (joy) for 2 nights. It was the 1st time away from home like this in a year and a half. I agonized for a couple of weeks back in January about going or not. My neighbor Sharon reassured me that the boys could stay with them and to not worry about anything. She is the one that made it happen. I felt better about leaving but it was still hard.

I came back on Thursday (19th) which was my birthday. My in-laws had come by and left a present and balloon for me. I was home for an hour before having to go to the High School for a meet the coaches night for Tyler's lacrosse team. My friend/neighbors took me out to the local bar here in our development for a birthday drink. It was really nice of them to remember.

Friday I had the chance to see my good friend Marianne. She used to work for Chris at COMSTAR. She left late last year for a new job and it's been tough getting to see her. We had lunch at a great greek restaurant near her office called CAVA. It was really, really good food and we both HIGHLY recommend it.OH - While in Detroit I had breakfast with an old schoolmate from highschool. I had not seen her in 29 years!!!! She works at the airport and I was staying there. It was really nice catching up on things and truly, that was a great birthday present.

Some EXCITING news too when I got back. Michael received his acceptance letter from St. Johns Catholic Prep! We had applied for early admission and now have to make the very hard decision on whether or not he actually goes there. It's a lot of responsibility on my part getting him there and paying for it, but I have to weigh what is best for him. I know Chris would be very excited about it and it would be nice to have her here to discuss it with me. The decision is 90% mine and 10% Mike's. He's on the wall about it but I think he knows that it would be the best for him.

Any advice?

Alex needs your help.

Alex sent out this email and I thought it would help to post it here as well.

This year at school, I have committed to participate in the Relay For Life of Lycoming College. I have learned that this year, hundreds of thousands of people will hear the words "You have cancer”. I know that some of those people could be people that I care about. Instead of being afraid of that, I have chosen to do something to fight back against this disease and I’m asking for your help.

Will you make a donation to my Relay For Life efforts? To donate online now, click on the link at the bottom of this message.

By making healthy lifestyle choices such as eating right, exercising and not smoking we can reduce the chances of getting cancer by as much as 50%! As someone I care about, I’m asking you to take up this challenge to fight back against cancer by making healthy lifestyle choices and supporting my fundraising efforts.

Thank you in advance for your support. Together, we will celebrate, remember, and fight back!

Eliminate it!

Alex DeWitt
Click here to go to her donation website.

Busy, busy, busy weekend.

Friday started the weekend off as usual. My pool team had to go to Baltimore to play in round 2 of the playoffs. We fought very hard and went down to the final match and my nephew Adam pulled it out for us and won his match, meaning that we won the overall match. The win put us into round 3 for the first time ever. We'll I got home around 1:30 AM that night and then the reward we got was that we played again the next day on Saturday!

Saturday the boys and I tooled around a little and I had to leave them home again Saturday night to go play. I hate doing that but they don't mind. I do. Anyhow, we played a fun team on Saturday but despite our best efforts we lost our best of 5 matches in the last match. We did very well for who we are and our skill level. We did not get blown out in any of our matches and walked away with a few extra $ in our pockets.

While there on Saturday, Valentine's Day, my good friend Danny and his wife came by to watch us play! It was a real surprise to see them and it gave me a boost. I was bumming out as it was.
Valentine's Day is really depressing now. Time will heal I'm sure. Here's last years post.

The nice part about losing is we did not have to go back on Sunday! So the boys and I went up to Lycoming College to visit Alex. She had a scrimmage vs. DII school Lockhaven. They lost but played very well. She played the entire game and the extra period too.

Afterwards we went out to dinner a small local Italian place. The same one her coach took us too when we went up there for a recruiting visit. It was nice to see her.

We left around 5 and ended up getting home around 8 or so. Very tired.

Today, monday, the boys and I went to the YMCA. Ty and I played racquetball and then he and Mike went to work out some and I went to the gym to play hoops. Now were all exhausted.

This week I'm going to Detroit on a business trip. It is killing me to have to go away like that. The boys are staying at a neighbors who have really reassured me that everything will be okay.

Flashback

Happened to be on Google Maps today in the Rochester area. Then started looking around and found where I used to live when I was in college at Rochester Institute of Technology. It's been almost 25 years ! We lived on the end unit on the right and my room was upstairs on the front!!!


View Larger Map

And while in Rochester I used to frequent Nick Tahou's for the late night breakfast garbage plate!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice haircut!

Alex's team has some new photos up on their team page. She is listed as number 25. They have a scrimmage this Sunday which the boys and I may go up to see. We haven't seen her in about 6 weeks so it'll be nice to go up for the day. WEATHER permitting!

Shooting Pool

As many of you know I play pool in a league. Have been doing this for 3 years now. It was a good way to take my mind off of things when Chris was going through treatments. We pretty much play year round and I took about 6 months off last year for obvious reasons. I play on a team with my father-in-law, 2 brothers-in-law and my nephew. There are also 3 others on the team. Each week we play another team and 5 of us play matches.

Each session we play in goes for about 12 weeks and then 4 weeks of playoffs. This year we won our playoffs and were eligible to go to the big state tournament in Baltimore. This is where ALL the winners come and have a bracket tournament. If you win 4 matches you go to Las Vegas for the Nationals... well we played our 1st bracket yesterday and won! It was tough but we were able to pull it out at the end. I shot 1st and was able to eek out a win. We were then down 2 matches to 1 and came back to win the final match in the final game with only the 8-ball left on the table! We go back for round 2 next Friday.

So to celebrate we went to another dive featured on the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show on Food Network. This one is called Chaps. It's a mans place. Meat is the primary foodstuff there. The greatest ribs we've ever had and the best pit-beef sandwiches as well. Go there if you ever get the chance. You can't miss it, as it's right next to the Gold Club.... :)

PINK OUT @ St. Mary's

SAVE THE DATE:

Saturday, March 7, 2009

The women’s lacrosse team at St. Mary’s College of Maryland will be holding its inaugural Breast Cancer Awareness Lacrosse Game vs. McDaniel College at 1 pm at Seahawk Stadium in beautiful St. Mary’s City.

This game will be played in remembrance of Christine A. DeWitt, the mother of a player I once coached, who lost her life to this disease last year as well as all individuals affected by breast cancer. The lacrosse team will be selling T-shirts in order to raise funds for Climb for Hope, a division of breast cancer research that Christine believed in very strongly.

Climb for Hope was organized to raise and channel funds towards targeted and promising research in the fight against breast cancer. Its mission is to find a viable treatment for breast cancer within the next three years. In the past two years, the organization has raised over $550,000 for a vaccine being developed at Johns Hopkins University by Dr. Leisha Emens. This research will one day allow patients to successfully battle the disease using a specialized vaccine in conjunction with lower doses of chemotherapy. Not only does the vaccine address some of the most aggressive and lethal forms of breast cancer, but the research is expected to promote treatment advances for many forms of cancer as well. (www.climbforhope.com).

To purchase a pink St. Mary’s women’s lacrosse T-shirt, please contact Kara Reber at klreber@smcm.edu or by phone at 240-895-3304. Shirts are $10 and come in adult S, M, L, XL, XXL. Cash donations are also welcome. Pre-sale orders are due by: February 20, 2009. There will be a few additional shirts available at the game for sale.

We would like for you to wear your pink T-shirt to our game on the 7th as we would like to have a “pink-out” of the stadium. Our goal is to raise over $3,000.00.

Please join us for this event and help support a cause that affects many of our lives.

March 7th, 2009 . . . see you at the game!

Pix from the PAST

These are some pictures that were taken at Champions in Frederick on Feb. 24, 2004. Chris and I were there with some friends and watched a great band called The Reagan Years. If you ever get a chance to see them please do. They take pictures during their shows and Chris (and I ) were captured on a few of them. You can find her with her long blonde hair!

http://www.thereaganyears.com/champ28feb04.html

Hard to believe that was just 4 years ago…