Well, we’re at it again… preparing for another 6 day/550+ mile ride in support of those who are fighting cancer: the doctors, the survivors, the family members and the researchers.  Our group is called the Fireflies, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t start off by expressing my heartfelt gratitude for the support and love that we have already received.

For those who don’t know, my sister Lea was diagnosed with leukemia almost six years ago, and has survived an amazing array of treatments including a bone marrow transplant.  She literally went from a 32 year old carefree triathlete and newlywed, to a tactical survivor at war with her disease.  Over the years I’ve seen the physical and emotional toll that it has taken not only on Lea… but on her amazing husband, my mom and me.  She is now cancer free, but suffers from a variety of incredible medical challenges too personal to mention here, but suffice to say we fight constantly to keep her healthy, though her constant smile is never in jeopardy.

Back to my gratitude: many, many friends stepped up last year and this spring to support my efforts to complete my first The Fireflies West Ride down the coast of California and then The Fireflies Tour from Geneva, Switzerland to Cannes, France.  These rides have been an incredible life experience, and it has been an absolute joy to participate with so many dedicated people committed to raising awareness and money for survivors.  The rides were hard, beautiful and they affirmed my belief that the world is a better place when people do what they can, when they can.  That time is now.  We raised a tremendous amount of money, and as importantly, were able to add HUNDREDS of people to the bone marrow registry!  THANK YOU!

In the event I haven’t made it clear: I live with gratitude for being able to have so many wonderful people in my life; to cherish the health of my sister; and to have the opportunity to be part of a team like the Fireflies.  Thank you to my clients who tolerate my occasional absence, thanks to my donors who donate generously, and to my family who always encourages me to chase after my dreams.

This Friday, I’m leaving for another Fireflies Ride down the coast of California to raise money and awareness for leukemia and lymphoma survivors.  Specifically, we’re raising funds to support the City of Hope Hospital’s Hematology Oncology Center.  Our small group is a fusion of American and European riders from the advertising industry who are all dedicated to the cause.  We ride “for those who suffer” and appreciate all your thoughts and encouragement!

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED!!

1.)  Donate any amount possible directly to The City of Hope via this link (100% of donations go directly to City of Hope): http://www.fireflieswest.com/

2.)  Beginning this Friday, we leave San Francisco for a 6 day ride down the coast of California.  Though I always ride for my big sister Lea and her ongoing battle with this awful disease and the aftermath of her bone marrow transplant, once again, I’ll be dedicating a part of each day’s ride to a cancer survivor that YOU tell me about.  Just email directly HERE or leave a comment & send me their name etc.  You can also contact us via Twitter or Facebook.  We know there are cancer survivors out there, and we want them to know that we’re in the fight with them.  There is power in Unity. It may be a really steep climb, it may be the day when my legs are exhausted from the hundreds of miles I did days before, or the incredible view from Big Sur overlooking the Pacific Ocean… but connecting with survivors will motivate me to keep going, to tell their story, and hopefully to remind them that they’re not alone.

3.)  Follow our progress on Twitter: brianwedge  Want to meet us on the road with hand painted signs?  DO IT.  Want to see us climb the canyons of your home town?  DO IT.  Want to hear hourly updates about what part of my body hurts and what form of food I’m most craving at that moment? DO IT!  In all seriousness, there will be some tough days coming up, and we would love to have some some support along the way.  Twitter is great for real time communication:  Bring your bike to ride along or don’t bring your bike… just get involved!  (Disclaimer: specific ride routes may change and sweaty athletes may not be able to stop for very long, but smiles and appreciation will always be shown).

4.)  The fourth way you could help, is to go find a friend who hasn’t yet registered for the bone marrow registry and get them committed to signing up.  It breaks my heart to see people literally dying without a proper donor match… often because the public just doesn’t realize how EASY and FREE registration and donation is.  You can go HERE for the link to all the information, and the FREE registration process.

Last September I was lucky enough to join a small group of courageous cyclists for a 6 day, 600 mile ride down the coast of California from San Francisco to Los Angeles… all in honor of cancer survivors.  Our team, named the Fireflies, is a small group of advertising and film professionals who tackle the hardest climbs of the Alps and the coast of California every year to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer, and specifically leukemia.

In about 30 days, I’ll be boarding a plane for Switzerland, to join the Fireflies again for a ride from Geneva, Switzerland to Cannes, France.  I’m thrilled, I’m honored… and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a touch nervous.

Yes, I ride my bike a lot… but there’s NOTHING on the coast of Maine or California that could possibly prepare me for the hardest climbs of the Tour de France.  It will be 1000Km of hard roads and 22,000m of elevation climbed by the time we reach Cannes.  The Fireflies motto is “For those who suffer, we ride” and every pedal stroke, every moment of self doubt, every glorious view and grueling ascent will be for those leukemia survivors… like my big sister Lea… who have lived with a disproportionate amount of suffering every day since being diagnosed.

This ride is 100% in aid of Leuka, one of the world’s great leukemia research and support foundations.  Their mission could not be nearer and dearer to my heart… and quite honestly, I hope you will consider making a donation to Leuka today.

So… like everything we do for cancer survivors, there’s an opportunity for YOU to get involved.  Here’s how:

1.)  I won’t belabor the point: we need financial support.  100% of donations go to Leuka in aid of leukemia research, awareness and support.  None of your donations pay for any part of my trip.  I have a goal of raising a minimum of 2,000 £​’s (that’s about $3,000 as $1 = .6£’s) in the next THIRTY (30) days. Please help!

The direct link to my fundraising page is here (or click on the Leuka logo below)

2.)  Beginning June 13th, we leave Geneva, Switzerland for a 9 day ride in search of the hardest climbs of the Alps on our way to Cannes, France.  Though I always ride for my big sister Lea and her ongoing battle with this awful disease and the aftermath of her bone marrow transplant, once again, I’ll be dedicating a part of each day’s ride to a cancer survivor that YOU tell me about.  Just email directly HERE or leave a comment & send me their name etc.  You can also contact us via Twitter or Facebook.  We know there are cancer survivors out there who are suffering, and we want them to know that we’re in the fight with them.  There is power in Unity. It may be a really steep climb, it may be the day when my legs are exhausted from the hundreds of miles I did days before, or the incredible view from the top of the Alps… but connecting with survivors will motivate me to keep going, to tell their story, and hopefully do remind them that they’re not alone.

3.)  The third way you could help, is to go find a friend who hasn’t yet registered for the bone marrow registry and get them committed to signing up.  It breaks my heart to see people literally dying, because the public doesn’t realize how EASY and FREE registration and donation is.  You can go HERE for the link to all the information, and the FREE registration process.

If you live in France or Switzerland, or know someone who does… please come out and cheer us along.  We are a small, but dedicated group of wackos who put ourselves on the line in order to support the fight against cancer.  We love meeting new folks along the way, and can provide detailed times/locations to anyone who might want to connect to ride with us, or just needs a sweaty smile and wave.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

We’re feeling pretty fortunate these days as our business continues to grow through the support of some truly wonderful clients and organizations.  We recently won a photo contest that came with a pretty spectacular prize:  a two night stay at The Newagen Inn in Boothbay Harbor, Maine INCLUDING gourmet breakfast and dinner!!  When we won the contest for the 2008 year, we were pretty psyched… but we never thought we would win AGAIN for 2009 as well.  We’ve been pretty lucky… and we feel like we should give back a little.  We decided that we would donate our prize to help raise money for one of our favorite organizations: The Lance Armstrong Foundation and LIVESTRONG.

If you need any reminders of why we’re so passionate about the fight against cancer, just imagine someone you love… fighting for their lives.

Alternatively, you can just click HERE or HERE and you’ll learn a bit about my amazing sister Lea who was diagnosed with leukemia a little over 4 years ago, and later survived a bone marrow transplant.  Her progress is slow, but steady.  Her attitude and perspective on life in incredible.  She is now cancer free and the mother of a beautiful baby boy… but the impact that the disease has had on our family will never leave us, and LIVESTRONG has been part of our support team for years now, so it would be wonderful to give back to them for all that they have done on behalf of survivors like us.

SO WHAT’S THIS CONTEST YOU KEEP REFERRING TO?

Happy you asked!  We are raffling off a TWO night stay at the beautiful Newagen Seaside Inn with gourmet dinner and breakfast included.

Check out The Newagen Inn’s website HERE, or click on the photo below.

HOW DO I WIN THIS INCREDIBLE TWO NIGHT STAY ON THE COAST OF MAINE?

There are two ways to enter (Yes, you can… and should do both!!):

THE FIRST OPTION (CASH DONATION):

1.)  Go to: fundraising.livestrong.org/grassroots2010/brianwedge and make a tax deductable donation right now.  For every $10 you donate, you will get an entry into our raffle that will be chosen at random on June 5, 2010… the winner will be notified by way of the contact information you provided when you made your donation.  So if you donate $10, you get one raffle ticket.  Donate $50, you get five tickets, donate $500, and you get 50 raffle tickets etc…. as well as a darn good chance that you and your significant other will be spending a weekend relaxing on the coast of Maine!

THE SECOND OPTION (REGISTER TO BE A HERO):

2.)  My sister’s life was saved by a true hero named Tammy who registered to donate bone marrow YEARS before she ever got the call that she was needed.  Donating bone marrow is NOT like donating a kidney or lung… so get that out your mind right off the bat!  It’s EASY, and registering is EFFORTLESS.  Joining the registry is FREE and is literally as simple as swabbing the inside of your cheek with a Q-Tip, then mailing it back.  YOU can do this. YOU need to do this… because the people who need a bone marrow transplant are literally dying without your help.  The act of bone marrow donation can take on one of two different forms, but 70% of all donations are taken in a procedure very similar to the simple act of donating blood. The cold hard truth though is that every year 35,000 people need a donor and only 3800 will find one.

VIDEO: How to register / get tested

Here’s the link with all the detailed information and how to receive a free test kit (donations accepted but NOT required):

Plus, if you register or are already registered… you get ONE FREE RAFFLE ENTRY.

Just tell us that you’re registered via:

A posted comment to this blog below [your email address is never published... promise]

or via TWITTER (@brianwedge)

or via FACEBOOK

Just tell us and when you WIN, we will contact you with the info you provided.  Honor system here.  If you say you went to the website and ordered the registration kit… we believe you and you qualify.  If you say you are already on the registry: we believe you!  If you say you actually donated marrow to someone: we LOVE YOU!!!

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So, to review:  You can win an exquisite two night stay at The Newagen Seaside Inn including dinner/breakfast if you:

a.)  Donate $10 to LIVESTRONG here: http://fundraising.livestrong.org/grassroots2010/brianwedge

OR

b.)  Are registered currently or become registered to donate bone marrow (just contact us through our comments section here, Twitter or Facebook)

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Follow up questions:

Brian, I own/work for an AWESOME company… and I bet we would be psyched to donate something to add to the prize list and therefore raise more cash to fight cancer (while also harnessing the power of social media marketing and your amazing blog followers)… how on earth would I do that?

What a great idea!  Just shoot us an email, or hit us up on Twitter (@brianwedge) or our Facebook Page and we will add it to our prize list while promoting your company as best we can!

(Original Photo Credit: EPA)*

Is it true that the winner gets to go for a ride with Lance Armstrong during their stay in Maine?

Ever since Lance and I ran the Boston Marathon “together”, it is true that he is a huge fan of Brian Wedge Photography (always bugging me for a print of his favorite wedding shot or obsessing about the plight of sea turtles in Mexico).  Knowing Lance as well as I do* he did mention that he had some sort of a cycling tour planned for July that’s taking him overseas I think.  I think he said something about studying cobblestones in France and then training for some little social ride in Colorado, so I can’t promise you that he’ll be there… but you never know!  In the event that Lance doesn’t show up to meet you, we would be happy to show you one of our favorite cycling loops while you’re in town.

Last question now… are there any other rules?

Whatever mumbo-jumbo legal rules apply to your state/country etc. apply.  If you’re under 18, don’t steal your parents credit card and donate without their permission.  In fact, you probably shouldn’t steal anyone’s credit card and donate without their permission.  This is simply us trying to raise money for a good cause in a fun and simple way… if you have any questions, let us know and we’ll do our best to answer them…. but otherwise, be cool and let’s all have some fun with this.

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*aaaaaaand for the record, I’m joking.  I don’t think Lance is coming to ride with you in Maine… but donate some money anyways!  It’s a good cause!!

That being said, while we were traveling and shooting far away from the blogosphere, much occurred, and we will try to recap some of it here:

First up… my sister Lea and her husband Billy adopted an adorable baby boy!  Henry is absolutely beautiful, and has a remarkably calm energy about him that is just amazing.  Though we did miss the cranky-baby 2am diaper changes and feedings, we are quite certain that Henry is either high on baby formula… or just happy to be alive and have parents who adore and appreciate him so much.

Though we only stopped in for a few days during our return from Hawaii, one thing led to another… and of course an impromptu photo shoot occurred that resulted in baby Henry winding up in a salad bowl.  Sorry Henry, but you just don’t know where creativity will lead you!  Anyway, we wanted the whole world to know how proud we are to have him in our family!

And speaking of growing, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that we won a few more awards for our photography and we wanted to thank the sponsors for their encouragement and recognition.  First up, we managed to sneak out a few awards from the prestigious Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA.com) once again.  There are some truly incredible photographers that compete in their contests… so we are honored that we had NINE winning images in the past year.

Here are the two latest winners:

This image is from Matt & Ashley’s Hurricane Wedding at The Newagen Inn in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.  The photo is a fun grab shot of the bridesmaid being “blown away” in the wind.  The great news is that the bridesmaid holding the umbrella (Christine) is engaged to be married & in June we will be in Massachusetts to document their wedding for them!  There is no greater honor than to get the opportunity to support the friends of great clients like Matt & Ashley.  Don’t worry… we PROMISE… the weather will be better!

Next, from Heidi & Ross’ wedding at The Sebasco Harbor Resort, we won 4th place for dancing… but the true story is that the dancing started about 8 hours earlier, and the award should really be for the consistency and longevity of the dancing.  If I remember correctly, this is Heidi’s brother… who started dancing before the ceremony and in my mind is probably dancing wherever he is right now.  Congrats!

Last up, our favorite social media guru / Innkeeper Jason Schlosser (from The Newagen Inn in Boothbay Harbor) held a photography contest and self selected our entry because we were out of the country at the time (thanks Jason!!).  By popular vote, we were lucky enough to win the contest in 2008, and we never expected that we would again in 2009, but as luck would have it, we did!  The prize for winning the contest was a 2 night stay at The Newagen Inn, along with dinner.

In honor of all our good fortune, our great clients, and most of all… our precious new nephew Henry, we’ve decided that we are going to donate our two night stay at The Newagen Inn to raise money for LIVESTRONG and their continued fight on behalf of survivors like my sister in their battle against cancer.  More details about the raffle will be coming tomorrow: we’ve got a donation page all setup with LIVESTRONG, and Jason at The Newagen Inn is psyched to host the prizewinner.

So for now, thanks for all the support, love and emails.  We love hearing from everyone… and rest assured, we are back!!  Spread the word about the contest… more details right here tomorrow!

These messages were painted on the roads of the Tour de France before the peleton pedaled through.

Just as Lance Armstrong was pedaling through France this past summer, I was spending two wonderful weeks with my big sister Lea.  Diagnosed with leukemia on January 10, 2005, Lea has survived a barrage of assaults on her body, mind and spirit.  Not surprisingly, for those that know and love her… she is a unyielding fighter… who can reach deep into her soul and produce courage and focus that is truly incredible.  Many would say that Lea has beaten cancer, and by all medically relevant standards she has… but there’s so much more to her story, more that is easily ignored, forgotten or avoided: It’s the aftermath.

There’s a lot of hardship in this world… and my guess is that folks who have endured severe tests of the spirit, know a thing or two about surviving.  But like the person who climbs out the wreckage after a tornado destroys their home, or the soldier who spends months in physical therapy learning to walk again… there are certain challenges that take years and even decades to rebuild from.  Leukemia has been that for our family.  Lea beat hell out of her cancer, but it’s impacts are still felt everyday.

You did it Lea… you really did!!

We first became involved with Doug Ulman and the LIVESTRONG movement in the moments after Lea’s diagnosis.  Through the tears and the nausea of the news, LIVESTRONG was the first organization that really tapped into our fighting spirit.  There was an unapologetic belief that there was strength in unity, and that hope was as powerful as any cancer drug would ever be.  We’re forever grateful and as a result we want to make sure that everyone out there understands how important it is that we unite together against the epidemic of cancer.

So today happens to be LIVESTRONG Day and there are ways YOU can help.  We are donating 10% of our annual profits to Livestrong and like minded charities… so our request isn’t for moola… it’s for involvement.

Here’s how:

1.)  Register your bone marrow:  Swab your cheek with a Q-tip at home for FREE as part of becoming a bone marrow donor.  If you’ve been meaning to do this, do it today.  It’s easy and you’re saving someone’s life!!!  PLEASE do this.  If you already have done it… THANK YOU!  Please write in and tell us what made you do it!

VIDEO: How to register / get tested

Here’s how to sign up for a free test kit (donations accepted but not required):

http://www.dkmsamericas.org/category/marrow-donors/become-donor

You might never be a match, but if you are… wow, you’re in the position to save someone’s life!!  You’re not donating a kidney or a lung now… so get that whole gory, life altering surgery concept out of your head right off the bat.  The act of bone marrow donation can take on one of two different forms, but 70% of all donations are taken in a procedure very similar to the simple act of donating blood.  The cold hard truth though is that every year 35,000 people need a donor and only 3800 will find one.  Bottom line: we need more people involved and you could be that one!

A great video that explains what the actual donation process is here:

2.)  Get healthy and get involved.  Go for a walk today, ride your bike, play with your kids, smoke one less cigarette, eat a salad… whatever.  Do something healthy for you and your family.

3.)  Livestrong: it’s not all about Lance… it’s about uniting against cancer.  Get involved through this link here. While you’re at LIVESTRONG, go buy some of their sweet gear, and wear it with pride knowing that you’re helping a great organization with your cash while raising awareness about cancer.  If you want to understand what LIVESTRONG is to survivors like us, here’s their manifesto:

THE MANIFESTO OF THE LANCE ARMSTRONG FOUNDATION

We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

We kick in the moment you’re diagnosed.
We help you accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage.
We believe in your right to live without pain.
We believe in information. Not pity.
And in straight, open talk about cancer.
With husbands, wives and partners. With kids, friends and neighbors. And the people you live with, work with, cry and laugh with.
This is no time to pull punches.
You’re in the fight of your life.

We’re about the hard stuff.
Like finding the nerve to ask for a second opinion.
And a third, or a fourth, if that’s what it takes.
We’re about getting smart about clinical trials.
And if it comes to it, being in control of how your life ends.
It’s your life. You will have it your way.

We’re about the practical stuff.
Planning for surviving. Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility. Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals, specialists, insurance companies and employers.
It’s knowing your rights.
It’s your life.
Take no prisoners.

We’re about the fight.
We’re your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate with the healthcare system. Your sponsor in the research labs.
And we know the fight never ends.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet.

LIVESTRONG

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Ok… that’s it!  Thanks for hearing us, thanks for being involved, thanks to Tammy for donating her bone marrow to my sister… and most of all, thanks to Lea Morrison who inspires me everyday with her attitude, action and love.

To Lea: I couldn’t be more proud to be your little brother, and I want you to know that I understand how hard you work EVERY day to stay healthy and positive.  You have earned your title of Survivor the hard way.  I hope you will take a moment today, on LIVESTRONG Day to celebrate how far you have come!!

My sister’s improved health has been the result of tenacious determination, an indefatigable spirit, a talented team of caregivers… and most importantly, the selfless, incredible gift from her anonymous bone marrow donor.

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to actually meet my sister’s bone marrow donor.  Her donor’s name is Tammy, she’s about my sister’s age, and we had dinner together along with her fabulous husband Chris just before I flew out for another photo shoot.  Meeting Tammy and Chris was one of the most surreal moments of my life.  I was giddy with excitement, bubbling over with emotion (READ: tears)… and challenged to fully express my sense of gratitude for her sacrifice, and for the lifetime of pain she had spared Lea and everyone in our family.  As much as I wanted to know all about her and Chris, she wanted to know all about Lea and the process from the patient’s side.  We talked for hours sharing our experiences.

With The Heroes: Chris and Tammy on the left (and me)

I spent most of the night thanking them both for their efforts, for their selfless gifts, and for THEIR determination to see this process through.  Tammy and Chris had a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to help someone that they didn’t even know… and they took it.

Some call it Providence, some call it karma… others call it dumb luck.  Whatever it was, we were very fortunate to find a donor at all… never mind someone like Tammy who was a perfect match, and who was so willing to give so much.

As we left the restaurant that night, I told (yelled at) every person we saw that “This woman saved my sister’s life.”  I know it embarrassed Tammy, but it is the absolute truth… and it’s something not only to celebrate, but also aspire to.  What if we ALL stepped up to the plate for someone we didn’t know?  What if we were all willing to give of ourselves so that someone else may live?  If you had the opportunity, would you?

VIDEO: How to register / get tested

Getting tested for bone marrow is easy… it literally just involves swabbing your cheek with a Q-Tip and it’s FREE (optional donation to cover costs accepted but not required).  Here’s how to sign up:

http://www.dkmsamericas.org/category/marrow-donors/become-donor

You might never be a match, but if you are… wow, you’re in the position to save someone’s life!!  You’re not donating a kidney or a lung now… so get that whole gory, life altering concept out of your head right off the bat.  The act of bone marrow donation can take on one of two different forms, but 70% of all donations are taken in a procedure very similar to the simple act of donating blood.  The cold hard truth though is that every year 35,000 people need a donor and only 3800 will find one.  Bottom line: we need more people involved and you could be that one!

A great video that explains what the actual donation process is here:

Our lives are forever changed by Tammy’s gift.  Her generosity has inspired so many… and I hope it inspires YOU and those around you.  Thank you Tammy!!!

If you would like to thank Tammy for her donation in the comments section below, have at it!

If she inspires you to register, or get friends/family registered let us know… and by all means pass this blog post on!

If you’re ever in Seattle with leukemia about to start a bone marrow transplant the next day… we highly recommend you go ahead and catch a fish at Pike’s Place.

It’s been three years today since I got the call from my sister.  Through the tears and the gasps there was something about “blood test” and “they don’t know” and then the word “cancer” followed by the word “leukemia.”  It was the most horrific moment in either of our lives.  Me getting that news… and her, having to share it with her baby brother.

It’s a moment that replays daily in my head like it happened yesterday.  The instant nausea, the concern and the start of one incredible journey.  But just like most journeys, it takes a bit of time and distance to fully appreciate how far you’ve come.  The good news is that we’ve been through hell and back… and Lea is recently and currently cancer free!  She’s survived not only leukemia, but the misery of numerous demoralizing failed treatments, thousands and thousands of invasive tests.. and that most amazing “if it doesn’t kill you” experience of a bone marrow transplant.

Cancer isn’t as glamourous as you might think…

Her hair is growing back slowly, she goes to the doctor only 3-4 days a week now and her journey continues.  Today marks a very special day for all of us, because it’s another milestone: the start of her first complete year without leukemia since diagnosis!

Lea, on the left looks beautiful sans hair.  I shaved my head in solidarity… though most people are quick to note that there wasn’t much to take off.

Congratulations to you, Billy and all of those who love you and have supported you along the way!!!  You’re doing GREAT!!  Go celebrate today!