I am honored to be the emcee for the 2008 Miles for Moffitt 5K Race and Fun Walk to benefit research at Moffitt Cancer Center.  Two weeks ago, I sat down with Karen Dalton, 2008 Race Chair and wife of William S. Dalton, Ph.D., M.D., Moffitt CEO and Center Director, Susan Meadows, Miles for Moffitt Coordinator, and Mary Estes, Miles for Moffitt Media Relations.  What a fanastic group of women… they have left no detail untouched!  I am confident the Race will be a huge success and lots of fun… but we need your help. 

Below is a press release about a Race-Prep Clinic which begins this weekend.  Also, I have link to the Miles for Moffitt website where you can sign up for the race and fun walk.  Space is limited, so don’t wait!  I hope to see you all there.  And if you have a great story to tell about cancer survival and hope, I would love to hear from you.  You can email me a .

Also, it is important to note that thanks to the generosity of race sponsors including the Bank of St. Petersburg, 100 percent of participants’ entry fees benefit Moffitt’s cancer research.  WOW!  Every dollar and every race participant really can make a difference.

Cancer has affected my family, so this cause has a personal meaning to me.  I lost my dear grandfather, who we affectionately called Mikey, back in 2003 when he was 83 years old.  He developed lung cancer after years of asbestos exposure while at work.  He was completely healthy in all other aspects of his life.  My grandfather did not smoke or drink, walked 3 miles everyday, and even went hiking with my cousins in the Pocono Mountains the summer before he passed away.  Too many families have lost loved ones because of cancer… and everyone is needed in the fight to find a cure.  We hope to see you on May 10th!

Tampa, FL (Feb. 20, 2008) — An eight-week readiness clinic beginning Saturday, March 15, is being offered to anyone wanting to participate in the Bank of St. Petersburg Miles for Moffitt — a 5K and one-mile walk/run being held Saturday, May 10, at the University of South Florida Tampa campus.

Held in cooperation with the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA and Sweetbay Supermarket, the Moffitt Morning Milers clinic meets from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, March 15 to May 3, at the cafeteria at Moffitt Cancer Center. The $30 clinic fee covers the eight-week training session, race registration and T-shirt. Anyone who attends six out of eight sessions and completes the race will receive a three-month YMCA individual membership.

Weekly sessions include warm-up exercises, group training walks, refreshments and presentations on wellness topics designed to promote fitness and prepare participants for the event. Topics cover nutrition, therapeutic massage, injury prevention during exercise and selection of proper footwear.

Thanks to generous sponsorship support for Bank of St. Petersburg Miles for Moffitt, all proceeds from the clinic and race registration fees benefit cancer research at Moffitt. Among the sponsors are the University of South Florida, Tampa Bay Rays, News Channel 8, The Tampa Tribune, Tampa Bay’s Q-105, WQYK, AAA Auto Club South and Embassy Suites.

Space is limited, so register early. Sign up at http://www.MilesForMoffitt.com, or call (813) 745-1346 for an entry form.

About H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute:
Located in Tampa, Florida, Moffitt Cancer Center (http://www.moffitt.org) is the only Florida-based cancer center with the NCI designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center for its excellence in research and contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Moffitt currently has 15 affiliates in Florida, one in Georgia and two in Puerto Rico. Additionally, Moffitt is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a prestigious alliance of the country’s leading cancer centers, and is listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” for cancer, as well as for ear, nose and throat. Moffitt’s sole mission is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer.