Wednesday, November 7, 2001
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Wednesday, November 7, 2001 |
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Principal hits the road for student A Fayette principal is literally going the distance to help one of his students battle a form of lymphoma. Greg Stillions of McIntosh High School is currently training for a 100-mile bike ride sponsored by Team in Training, the largest endurance training program that raises money towards the cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's Disease and myeloma. Stillions will ride in honor of Kelli Murphy, 17, a senior at the school who is battling Hodgkin's disease. Team in Training provides participants with the coaching, training and travel opportunities to make their athletic goals a reality. In exchange for training in either running, walking or cycling, participants raise money to help find a cure for the diseases supported by the organization. McIntosh is currently accepting donations for Stillions' bike ride. The school had originally set a goal of $2,500, which it has already reached. In fact, the student body was so excited about helping another student in need that $300 in cash was raised in one day. A portion of the funds raised by Stillions will go directly to help pay for Murphy's medical expenses. Anyone wishing to make a donation in honor of Murphy can do so in the front office of the school during regular school hours. After hearing about Stillions' plan to participate in Team in Training, Dr. William Arban of Peachtree City donated a bike frame for the cause. Stillions took the frame and had a bicycle specially built for the fund-raiser, which is scheduled Nov. 10 in Claxton, Ga. Although it takes a lot of endurance training to prepare for such a long ride, Stillions says it is the least he can do to help one of his students win a battle against a disease that has higher incidence rates in adolescents and young adults. "If my 100-mile ride and the donations can benefit Kelli or can make a positive change in her life, then all the training and work for this ride will have been worth it," he said. More than 30,000 runners, walkers and cyclists are expected to participate in marathons across the nation this year on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Team In Training has raised millions of dollars toward finding cures for leukemia, the number one disease-killer of children under 15, lymphoma, the leading killer of men and women under 35, as well as Hodgkin's disease and myeloma.
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