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4District
News
 Running for a cure—and running and running and
running…
(October, 2006) For Fonda-Fultonville High School teacher Sarah
Luft, the loss of a friend’s husband in 2005 to lymphoma and
bone cancer was a call to action. She laced up her running shoes
in a personal quest to fight the tragic disease. In just four
months, she ran her first marathon—a race she ran in his memory.
That was over a thousand miles and two marathons
ago. Today, she runs as a member of Team in Training, a
nationwide running group that supports leukemia and lymphoma
research.
“Team in Training participants raise money for
research and they train for marathons,” she explains. “Most of
the runners in our area are toward Albany and several in
Broadalbin.”
That leaves Sarah to train on her own and with local friends who
are runners. Although distance training is physically and
mentally exhausting, she finds her motivation in the patients
she is working to help.
“I train to represent the hard work and effort
of the patients who fight these diseases. If they can deal with
the pain every day, then I can deal with it when I run,” Sarah
says.
Finding time to train is a challenge for the
fulltime special education teacher and part-time waitress. In a
typical week, she runs three days of hilly terrain and short
workouts of four to eight miles near her Johnstown home.
Saturdays are reserved for long runs of 12 to 20 miles usually
along a bike path.
On Sunday, October 22nd, she will run the San
Francisco Marathon, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s headline
event. She will join thousands of other runners and their
sponsors who will raise over $14 million toward the cause.
“I was terrified to fund-raise,” she admits. “It
is much like cancer patients; they hate to ask for help. But,
people are really generous. It gives me hope for mankind.”
Despite her reservations, Sarah committed
herself to the task of raising money. She held personal bake
sales, held yard sales, sold candles, and asked for
contributions. Money trickled in—25˘ for a brownie, five dollars
as a donation. She smiles as she explains that she surpassed her
goal of $4500, raising over $5000.
With the race fast approaching, she is focusing
on her final preparations. Unlike others who compete for glory,
her sights are set on finding new treatments and one day, a cure
for these diseases. Sadly, the race again takes on a very
personal face as she runs for a friend on Long Island who is
combating lymphoma and breast cancer.
When asked what message she would like to share
with others, she quietly answers, “People need to know that
every little bit counts.”
To help sponsor Sarah (she will gladly accept
contributions after the event), contact her via email at sluft@ffcsd.org. Learn more about
Team in Training
or contact the
Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society.
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