The crew of Dauntless will be taking her to the Lake Pleasant, AZ to race in the Arizona Yacht Club's Leukemia Cup Regatta next week. If you are not familiar with Leukemia Cups, they are run across the country and are a major fundraiser for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. The LLS raises funds to support research to search for a cure for these devastating diseases as well as funds that operate support programs for families that are dealing with the gut wrenching reality that a family member is in a fight for their life. I have raced in this event before strictly as a racer, not a fundraiser, as that is an option. You can just pay a fee and participate in the race. This year however, a lifelong friend of mine got the news that his 10 year old son has an extremely rare case of Leukemia. Over the past two months I have witnessed how their lives have been turned upside down and marvel at how their family bonds have kept them going, even through 43 straight days in the pediatric ICU unit in Las Vegas, Nevada. Things are going better for them right now but their child is still going through chemotherapy and the long term outcome is unknown. After witnessing the aftermath of a diagnosis such as this I decided that even though I am always hesitant to ask others for donations I would do my best to assist the LLS as best I could. Last year nearly 100 boats participated in the event and I believe the amount raised was nearly $78,000. Wow! I have already been in contact with some of you through other channels that we communicate through and the response has been awesome, Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for supporting our endeavor. To anyone else that might want to make a contribution to the LLS through Dauntless' participation in the Leukemia Cup, there is a website set up which allows you to make a secure online donation. The link to the site is: _http://www.active.com/donate/leukemiacupdms/Dauntless_ (http://www.active.com/donate/leukemiacupdms/Dauntless) I hope that posting a request for donations does not offend anyone. I thought long and hard before posting this on here and I will only post the request once. The overwhelming support we've been given in such a short time is what made me decide to go for it. 100% of any donation goes straight to the LLS directly. All entry fees, race fees, food, lodging etc, is the responsibility of each participant and any awards given away at the event are donated. Thanks for allowing me to post. I love this group. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Sean **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489