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cello fundraising

training to run against cancer

If you look to the right sidebar, you’ll see a donation button for Team in Training, which is an organization which raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by training teams of runners and cyclists for major full and half marathon events and cycling centuries around the country.

Bert Phillips (center) with Heather (to his left) and myself (to his right) along with his wife Toby, (far left) and cellist Glenn Fischbach (far right) at Lake Luzerne, NY.

My wife Heather has an aunt who is a lymphoma survivor, and her cello teacher, Stephen Kates, succumbed to the disease in 2003, and a mentor of hers, cellist Bert Phillips, a longtime member of the Philadelphia Orchestra and founder of the Luzerne Music Center, passed away from the disease in 2009.

Stephen Kates (2nd from left) with Heather (2nd from right) and other students from his cello studio at Peabody Conservatory.

In 2007 she did the full marathon to raise money and pay tribute to her aunt and teacher, and this fall she will be doing a half marathon here in Portland to continue to raise money for this amazing organization.

Heather with her mother (L) and aunt (R) at the 2007 Portland Marathon finish line.

The LLS has important ties to the Portland medical community.  They helped to fund clinical trials for the important cancer drug Gleevec/Glivec run by OHSU oncologist Brian Druker confirming the drug’s efficacy in fighting chronic myelogenous (or myeloid) leukemia (CML).

So, if you’re so inclined, click on the ‘Donate’ link to the right and help further the cause of cancer research and patient aid through the Leukemia & Lymphonma Society.

Thanks!