With the temperature in the high 30's, I expected many people to stay in their nice warm beds.  But when I arrived... there were lot's of people setting up.  Valerie McLean was at the helm from Trak Shak,  The Birmingham Track Club, The Junior Executive Board of the American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society volunteers and workers as well as vendors,  saxophonist - Vann Burchfield, vocalist Linda Plowman Fikes, Sabrina Thomas, Wanda Mckoy and many many more working to make sure Veteran's Park in Hoover was ready for the big Conquer Cancer Run.   My jaw dropped.  People continued to pour in to participate in the race.  At eight am the starting line was full with what appeared to be about five-hundred people.   Despite the cold weather and the threat overnight of icing, they came.  But that's what I love about cancer survivors, their friends and family and runners.  They are not easily scared off.

This was an event where we could all show a little true grit.  We all had a mission and a purpose.  We were all unified in the want, desire and prayer to find a cure for a dreaded disease.  I pray the money we helped raise all 65,000 dollars  (at latest count) will ease the burdens of those in their battle and help fund researchers to find a cure!  Cancer you'd better run.  Seeing the unity on this particular day I was so encouraged at how powerful it is when a group of passionate  people get together. 

   Thank you all for a fantastic day and the encouragement that we are closer today than ever to a cure for cancer.  Keep on running and training for next year.  Soon I hope we could call it THE BRENDA LADUN, WE CONQUERED CANCER RUN!