I sometimes feel as if I am living out the legacy my Grandmother
began. Her first job out of college was teaching, as was mine. Lucy's
classroom was often over-crowded with children of migrant workers. My classroom
was over-crowded with inner-city students. She was a "church
lady" who I think might have gone to seminary (as I am doing now) if the
opportunity had been available to her in her time. She was one of the most
open-minded and independent women I know. Lucy's strength continues to inspire
me.
Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's and
that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. Our future is
at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease.
When my Grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's she did not
go down quietly. Ever the teacher, Lucy sent a letter about her condition to
her friends and spoke to her community about Alzheimer's while she was lucid
enough to do so. Now it's my turn to raise awareness and raise funds to honor
her memory. While I've already reached my first goal of raising $100 for
every mile of the marathon I'll run on November 3rd, I'm still working to reach
my second goal of breaking $5,000--at which point I'll dye my hair purple.
My grandma always had a white stripe in her hair, and I thought it was
wild. I'm pretty sure she'd dig her granddaughter's wild purple flair.
This will be my second marathon, but my first time running it in
NYC. I can't wait to make a Big Difference in the Big Apple for my big
hero--this one's for Lucy!
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