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Catholic Central High in Novi to Host 10K/5K Run, 5K-Walk and Fun Run April 12, 2008 Goal: Raise Money for Rare Cancer
Novi, MI
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Andi and Mike O'Connell
A high-heel race competition is among the highlights of an April 12 running event at Catholic Central High to raise $30,000 to find a cure for a rare form of cancer – adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Ladies are encouraged to not only don their high heels and boas but to dress their best including cheetah print clothes and hair adorned by pink bows for the 0.5K (about a third of a mile) Fashion Walk in honor of Andrea (Andi) Whitesell O'Connell.
Andi died in July 2007 at the age of 40, ending a 21-year battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a rare cancer typically originating in the salivary glands and often spreading to the brain and lungs.
The Live Like Andi Run, Walk + Fun Run begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Catholic Central High School, 27225 Wixom Road south of Grand River in Novi. Registration begins at 8 a.m.
In addition to the Fashion Walk, other events include the 5K Run and 5K Walk, 10K Run, and 1 Mile Fun Run for kids. Entry fees vary from $15 for the Fashion Walk and Fun Run to $30 for the 5K and 10K events.
The fundraising event is sponsored by the Live Like Andi Foundation, Inc., a not for profit 501(c) organization formed to raise money for research to discover a cure for ACC and to support families of individuals with ACC. http://www.livelikeandi.org)
The Fashion Walk is a special addition to the event as a memorial honoring Andi's love of style and high fashion. A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in fashion design and retail merchandising, Andi had been to Paris twice in support of her love of fashion, especially enjoyed dressing up for activities, and believed proper dress was important when attending events. In keeping with her principle – "there is no event one should not be properly dressed up for" - Andi always attended chemo or radiation treatments dressed to the nines. Her doctors would parade her around their office encouraging other patients to have hope. Andi even made sure she had a fresh manicure for major surgeries!
"For the Fashion Walk we are putting down a cheetah print carpet to protect the track because 'cheetah print IS a color,' Andi would exclaim," says Mike O'Connell, Andi's husband of 14 years. "And instead of the traditional Dixie cups at water stations, for the Fashion Walk we will offer water in plastic champagne or martini glasses to add a touch of style"
As the kick-off event for the foundation, proceeds from the Live Like Andi event also will be used to set up scholarships in Andrea's memory at Catholic Central Novi, South Lyon High, Novi HS and for her alma mater, Richmond HS in Richmond, Indiana. The scholarships will recognize students who display courage and spirit to overcome obstacles as Andi did.
Speaking of Andi's spirit and courage, her husband Mike said: "She was injected with chemo over 200 times with no medical evidence to suggest the painful side effect she was about to endure would even work. On nearly 40 occasions she was given 'the bad news' that her cancer had spread or grown. She winced and accepted almost 1,000 needle points. She joked she fought cancer Monday through Friday but took weekends off. She never admitted she was dying until a mere 30 hours before she died!" She always had a smile no matter how bad she was feeling.
During the event Mike and Andi's three children – Tyler, 14, Gabrielle 11 and Olivia, 8 – will sell cheetah color wristbands that say "Live Like Andi" to be worn with the same pride and courageous spirit that thousands wore Lance Armstrong wristbands at an earlier time.
About 600 new cases of ACC occur in the U.S. each year. Because the cancer is rare, there is no funding for ACC research from the government, National Cancer Institute or American Cancer Society. All funding to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation comes from private donations such as those individuals who are supporting the April 12 Live like Andi event.
For more information about the events and to download registration forms or to sign up to be a fund raiser visit http://www.livelikeandi.org
-END-
Ladies are encouraged to not only don their high heels and boas but to dress their best including cheetah print clothes and hair adorned by pink bows for the 0.5K (about a third of a mile) Fashion Walk in honor of Andrea (Andi) Whitesell O'Connell.
Andi died in July 2007 at the age of 40, ending a 21-year battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a rare cancer typically originating in the salivary glands and often spreading to the brain and lungs.
The Live Like Andi Run, Walk + Fun Run begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Catholic Central High School, 27225 Wixom Road south of Grand River in Novi. Registration begins at 8 a.m.
In addition to the Fashion Walk, other events include the 5K Run and 5K Walk, 10K Run, and 1 Mile Fun Run for kids. Entry fees vary from $15 for the Fashion Walk and Fun Run to $30 for the 5K and 10K events.
The fundraising event is sponsored by the Live Like Andi Foundation, Inc., a not for profit 501(c) organization formed to raise money for research to discover a cure for ACC and to support families of individuals with ACC. http://www.livelikeandi.org)
The Fashion Walk is a special addition to the event as a memorial honoring Andi's love of style and high fashion. A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in fashion design and retail merchandising, Andi had been to Paris twice in support of her love of fashion, especially enjoyed dressing up for activities, and believed proper dress was important when attending events. In keeping with her principle – "there is no event one should not be properly dressed up for" - Andi always attended chemo or radiation treatments dressed to the nines. Her doctors would parade her around their office encouraging other patients to have hope. Andi even made sure she had a fresh manicure for major surgeries!
"For the Fashion Walk we are putting down a cheetah print carpet to protect the track because 'cheetah print IS a color,' Andi would exclaim," says Mike O'Connell, Andi's husband of 14 years. "And instead of the traditional Dixie cups at water stations, for the Fashion Walk we will offer water in plastic champagne or martini glasses to add a touch of style"
As the kick-off event for the foundation, proceeds from the Live Like Andi event also will be used to set up scholarships in Andrea's memory at Catholic Central Novi, South Lyon High, Novi HS and for her alma mater, Richmond HS in Richmond, Indiana. The scholarships will recognize students who display courage and spirit to overcome obstacles as Andi did.
Speaking of Andi's spirit and courage, her husband Mike said: "She was injected with chemo over 200 times with no medical evidence to suggest the painful side effect she was about to endure would even work. On nearly 40 occasions she was given 'the bad news' that her cancer had spread or grown. She winced and accepted almost 1,000 needle points. She joked she fought cancer Monday through Friday but took weekends off. She never admitted she was dying until a mere 30 hours before she died!" She always had a smile no matter how bad she was feeling.
During the event Mike and Andi's three children – Tyler, 14, Gabrielle 11 and Olivia, 8 – will sell cheetah color wristbands that say "Live Like Andi" to be worn with the same pride and courageous spirit that thousands wore Lance Armstrong wristbands at an earlier time.
About 600 new cases of ACC occur in the U.S. each year. Because the cancer is rare, there is no funding for ACC research from the government, National Cancer Institute or American Cancer Society. All funding to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation comes from private donations such as those individuals who are supporting the April 12 Live like Andi event.
For more information about the events and to download registration forms or to sign up to be a fund raiser visit http://www.livelikeandi.org
-END-
Scott Lorenz
President
Westwind Communications
Plymouth, MI
734-667-2090
734-455-7090
