The Fundraising Page of Sayard Bass

It was around mile 19 of the 2024 Chicago marathon when I decided that I was going to do this crazy thing again in 2025. It wasn’t a runners high or anything like that. The signs from the spectators were awesome but not THAT awesome. The schadenfrude oozing from the crowd was palpable…but…I thought…I could do this again…but next time…I could do it with a little more purpose! See, why be obnoxious and run a marathon when you can also raise money for a good cause while putting yourself through hours of training, soul searching, self doubt, and pain? (Not to mention becoming acclimated to forest preserve porta potties). I am choosing to do something hard. Though many people are not given the choice when Cancer affects them or a loved one. I have seen this since a very young age when my Uncle Kirk passed. I don’t remember him well but I do remember the sadness it brought to our whole family. Since that time Cancer has unfortunately been no stranger to my family, my friendships, and my life. I honestly live with a little fear of the day it will come a little bit closer. When I was looking for a charity there were so many options, and really no bad ones. It was like the cat room at the animal shelter! Though this charity spoke to me. Really smart people are trying really hard to cure cancer but while we wait for that day patients and families are going through a lot. A marathon doesn’t even compare. And they don’t even have streets lined with posters of Moo Deng and signs asking if they have peed themselves to keep going. But they do have places like this. Go to their website and see some of the programs offered by Gilda’s Club. Honestly it’s everything there’s not a pill or infusion for. In the spirit of Gilda Radner, and her approach to her own Cancer…look it up, it leaves me rethinking my own days, positively. The NIH has even studied the benefits of humor on patients undergoing cancer treatment (Samant, 2020…Google it). Not even joking that any little bit helps. I have some crazy incentives to motivate you. Donate $25…you can add a song to my running playlist. Your choice. Decide if you like me or not. For $50 I’ll make you some of my Grandma’s Pumpkin or Banana Bread (locally only, can’t ship it…lithium ion batteries). $250? Yeah, sure, you can slap a patch on my race day shirt advertising you…or whatever….if you feel really generous…we can negotiate a price for a decal on my butt…anything to make this worth it!