"Do it for the kids!"

I've been meaning for over two years to help raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I even had good intentions of participating in the Minnesota chapter's walk in January but as it always does, life got in the way.

So I actually surprised myself a few weeks ago when a co-worker asked me if I'd like to participate in the Great American Bike Race and I said, "Yes!" I feel blessed to have 2 healthy children and I've been looking for a way to show how grateful I am for my munchkins. And, as an added bonus, it is sponsored by Medcenter One which has the best pediatricians hands down!

The GABR raises money for kids with cerebral palsy. It is estimated that 1 out of every 500 babies, and one to three premature babies, are affected to some extent. A family who has a child with even a mild form of cerebral palsy has many expenses that are above and beyond what their insurance has already covered.

My team is called "Team Jose" in honor of our co-worker Yvette's little guy who has CP. She adopted Jose, who was born premature, from Guatemala when he was an infant. He is now three years old and uses a walker to get around (quite well to hear his mom talk!).

Each team member is asked to raise $50. Maybe it's the competitive nature in me (Scrabble anyone?), but $50 seems too low. Our team would like to raise $1,000. If you're interested in contributing, here's a link to our web page: http://www.firstgiving.com/susanstockert.

I'll keep you posted on how we did. The race is on the 12th of April and I've already raised $135 to date!