SPOTLIGHT: Dara Weiner and Melissa Kahaly

Each week we will be picking members to spotlight to tell their Alzheimer's story and why they are running in this year's New York City marathon. Check in each Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for new updates on who will be spotlighted and get to know your teammates...(each person is picked at random)

A pact to run to remember!!!

On January 1, 2011, a pact was made between two friends to run the NYC Marathon. We (Dara Weiner and Melissa Kahaly) decided we would embark on the (crazy) journey that is running 26.2 miles throughout the five boroughs and we would do it with the NYC Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association Team Run2Remember. How about that for a New Year’s resolution?

But seriously, it was more than a resolution - it was a commitment to take on a challenge and proactively do something for my mom who suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s. However, when we shook hands back on that fateful day, we had no idea how true the motto "run to remember" would be....we now run in memory of my mother, Agnes Kahaly, who passed away this May 2011. Together we run to celebrate my mom, and to generate awareness and raise funds to support the goal of someday finding a cure for this devastating disease.

Together we run. And when we say "together we run," we mean it. Side by side in our purple couture, we've been running on the West Side Highway, in Central Park and most recently over the Queensbourough Bridge. Trust us when we say it ain't easy, but the Beatles knew what they were talking about when they sang you can "get by with a little help from my friends" - we push each other to keep running, and motivate each other when the going gets tough.

With the support of each other (and the whole Alzheimer's team), we cannot wait to cross the finish line together after 26.2 miles!