CROHN'S AND COLITIS KICK OFF EVENT

Last year Tom and I joined Mike and Susie Giles and their family in the TAKE STEPS Walk for the CCFA. This year we formed our own team - team name? King Colitis, Queen Crohns and the Royal Flush! Hey - gotta have a sense of humor in all this. We're designing our t-shirts to wear for the walk and started the fundraising goal. Last Saturday the CCFA sponsored a kick-off event at the Stadium in Portland with tickets to the Portland Pirates game after. What a fun time! Our team is myself and Tom, my sister Sherie and husband Roger, their daughters Shannon and Shelli and Shannon's guy Tom and Kyle and Kaleb, our grandkids. We will probably have others join us as well in the month ahead. The kick off event featured quite a spread of food and a video on the TAKE STEPS WALK and another video from the coach of the Pirates who also has colitis. The game was great - the Pirates scored 5 goals! It was Sherie, Roger, Kyle and Kaleb's first hockey game ever!!! We even had a nice visit with Tom's son Ben who works for the Pirates now. Please check out my home page on the CCFA site and read my story. Sherie has suffered from Crohn's for 18 years now but currently is medication free with it under control - but she and her family wonder every day if it will strike again. Tom had ulcerative colitis for years and then was diagnosed with colon cancer. He's 5 years cancer free thanks to a wonderful surgeon but again - we always wonder - will the cancer return? We believe in this organization. 80 cents out of every dollar raised goes to research - check out the site and help support us! Also - Mike and Susie's son Trent has Crohn's and my cousin Linda has colitis - I think we're a family who knows first hand what this disease is all about! Thanks for your support!