By Casey McKenna, Entertainment and Fact Editor
Katie Gramlich and her boyfriend, Steve Ferraro, have been battling Steve’s Lymphoma for about a year. Steve was diagnosed with Large B-Cell Lymphoma when he was 22 years old. Now 23, he has just undergone his eighth and last treatment; Steve is in remission.
“His count is low right now, so he is not feeling too good, but we are so relieved that this was his last round,” said Gramlich.
She, along with others found a place to fight for the ones they love through the Team in Training. The Team in Training was established a year after Steve’s birth, in 1988 in New York, the very state he grew up in. According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s website, “an estimated 137,260 people in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of blood cancer in 2010.” The Team in Training has dedicated their purpose specifically to the cure of blood cancers.
“What sets Team in Training apart from other organizations is the support that you get from start to finish” said Whitney Tizzano, Campaign Coordinator of the Suncoast Chapter of the Team in Training.
“I would like others to know that Team in Training is an exceptionally supportive and motivating organization,” said Gramlich.
During her experience with the organization, which has been continuous since August, she has been provided with support that ranges from nutrition and cross training to fundraising help.
“We have weekly runs as a team and they send frequent emails with tips, articles, and words of motivation. I also get phone calls every week or two from a staff member who checks on how I am doing and asks if I need help with anything, whether it be related to running, fundraising, or finding resources for Steve,” said Gramlich.
The Team in Training participants have the opportunity to decide how they want to raise money for the cause. The way of going about raising funds is not set in stone, so participants are able to incorporate important aspects of their lives to the success of the fundraisers.
“I like to sit down with each participant and see what each one wants to do,” said Tizzano.
“In the next two weeks we will be doing a big garage sale fundraiser,” said Gramlich.
Some potential events that Katie’s chapter has in store for October are: trick or treating for donations, a pumpkin carving contest, and parties where guests can donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
When participants sign up to be a part of the Team in Training they receive a web page. On this page they are able to post a picture of themselves and the person they are honoring, as well as tell the story behind their experience with Leukemia or Lymphoma. Through this site, members are able to obtain support and send out the word that they are raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Many participants have had luck not only meeting their funding goals, but in exceeding them through the web page.
Although Katie’s chapter is in Long Island, she may have the chance to meet some members of the Suncoast Chapter.
“The events that my team is training for right now are in Florida, but that is only because we are training for the winter season and we live in the Northeast,” said Gramlich.
The organization gives participants a chance to travel while raising money.
“We do events all over the nation. I took a team out to San Diego in June,” said Tizzano.
One event that Team in Training has put on this fall was the Nation’s Triathlon in Washington DC which took place on September 12. That particular event was considered to be an Olympic distance triathlon. Participants participated in a 1.5k swimming challenge, a 10k run, and a 40k bicycle route. The Team in Training got together with Disney World for another fundraising event in early October: the Inaugural Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. The race, which was set up around the theme parks, ended in Epcot where participants, their families, and their friends were able to enjoy international food and wine.
“Teams all across the country are training for races all over, even internationally,” said Gramlich.
“So far I have participated in one official race and it is the first race I have ever done,” said Gramlich.
The race that she entered into was called the Cow Harbor Run, which took place in Northport, New York. The Cow Harbor Run is a nationally ranked 10K race which Gramlich’s coaches encouraged her, and her teammates to participate in so that they could get some practice. The morning of the Cow Harbor Run, Katie and her team met with their coaches to prepare for the race.
“They went over everything we would need to know about the logistics and we had two coaches running at our paces, one a little faster and one slower,” said Gramlich.
Since the coaches had their chances to beat their own times, they focused on the team that morning.
“They have had the opportunity to run for their own times, so they were only concerned about helping us,” said Gramlich. “I cannot say enough about the integrity of the organization and the kind hearts of all of the people who are involved in it.”
When Whitney Tizzano is preparing to recruit participants for the next season, Katie is preparing for her next half marathon in Miami, Florida on Jan. 30,2011. Some members of Katie’s team are training for a full marathon and others are participating in a separate half marathon, which is to take place in Disney World at the beginning of January.
“It feels great to be a part of a team and give back to an organization that has undoubtedly helped Steve in some indirect way. When I first joined, he was really thankful that even though he had to go through this experience, we were able to give back to the organization and help make an impact on the lives of others,” said Gramlich.
Katie’s goals are to raise as much money as she can to support the cause and support Steve and others who are fighting cancer. She has learned to push her personal limits and improve her physical fitness along the way. She wants others to be aware of blood cancers and the way that they do and can affect people. Katie wants others to know that this type of cancer does not just affect young children or older adults.
Steve is just 23 and was otherwise in good health. We simply thought he had pulled a muscle. If he had just let it go and did not see a doctor, we would have never known that he had such an advanced stage of lymphoma. Unfortunately, something that seems so benign does not always end up as such,” said Gramlich.
The money that is raised through the Team in Training is distributed to patient services as well as Leukemia and Lymphoma research. To start a team in Saint Leo or the area of your choice, contact 1-800-482-TEAM. To contribute to Katie and Steve’s goal in the fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma visit: http://pages.teamintraining.org/li/wdw11/kgramlich
