Winner and winners

Well I hope everyone enjoyed the last weekend of football for the season. I tell you what, I am sure going to miss my Sunday afternoon naps, or at least being lulled into them by the commentating voice of Al or Boomer or Dan, even if I couldn’t tell you which was which.  But there is just something about those jumpy, sporadic play-by-play updates with the roar of the crowd in the background that comforts me.

One thing I do appreciate about professional sports, though, is that there’s a winner and a loser.  Not everyone gets a trophy, because someone was better and someone worked harder and that’s just the way life can be sometimes.

In other cases, though, we do all win.  This past Saturday, January 31st, was the last day for my blog anniversary contest.  While it’s no surprise that I wasn’t overwhelmed with entries, I really loved doing this contest.  A few of you, whether you left comments or not, chose to email me and share your stories with me about how your life has been affected by cancer, and what you have done to join the fight against cancer and how you’ve helped spread awareness.  I’m so touched that people took the time to share their stories with me, and so proud to know that all of you are out there doing something.

And to those folks who joined me in the Bonus Round of the contest by making their own donation: THANK YOU!  You are amazing.  Some of you sent emails that said something like “I only donated X” or “it was only a small donation.”  I’m going to tell you right now to leave that word ONLY out of your vocabulary when it comes to contributions like this.  There is no only when it comes to the fight against cancer, folks.  There is no small.  It is all big and it all counts.

There will one day be that donation that funds that research that pushes us further that brings us to cures, and being part of that counts.  I believe that.

Now, for the contest winner.  There were a total of 19 comments on the giveaway post. So, I wrote the numbers 1-19 on a piece of paper:

Then, I cut each number into it’s own piece:

Then, I put all the numbers in this cute little apple-shaped dish my grandmother gave me:

Don’t grandmothers just come up with the cutest stuff?

Then, I stirred the numbers around with my hand:

My odd-looking, alien-like hand.

Then, I drew a number out of the dish:

And the winner was comment number 10, which was left by Mr. JustACoolCat.   So, Mr. JustA gets to go to the LiveStrong.org site and pick out any piece of Livestrong gear (up to $50) and it will be sent to him for his very own.  Now, I’m not trying to make any decisions for Mr. JustA, but OMG, loooooook at this and this.  What wee little bits of LiveStrong cuteness. Aww.

Now, depending on what Mr. JustA chooses, I will use the total dollar amount of that item, double it and then add it to the donations I’ve already matched for those who participated in the bonus round.  That total came to $60, so the total for the entire donation will be over $100, and could be as high as $160.  There is no big and small, friends. It is all big.

But wait!  There’s more!  Stick with me a minute longer, because this is where it gets even more interesting!  I don’t know how many of you have heard of the blogger that goes by Fatty over at FatCyclist.com, but you should check him out. Pronto.  I’ve been a long time Fatty reader and his was one of the blogs that encouraged me into starting my own. (Sidebar:  A few years ago, when Fatty had his blog on an MSNSpaces site, I remember reading a post he’d written about trying to eat healthier and he said something to the effect of “I could live off cold cereal and Mexican food forever.”  Right then and there, I knew I’d found a good blog. It was speaking to my soul.)

Over all of that, though, I’ve come to admire and respect Fatty and his family, and their community and friends so much for their tenacity and strong spirit, and for what he’s shared with the world as his wife, Susan, fights her own battle with cancer.

It is for that reason that the final dollar amount that comes out of this contest will go to the LiveStrong foundation through Fatty’s Livestrong Challenge.  You, too, should go check out the challenge.  They’re moving right along, and they could use our help.

Thanks so much to everyone, again, who commented, donated, emailed, and just for coming around here in general.  A lot of times I think about how if I’d have known about the people I’d discover through blogging, I would have started years before I did.  But now that I do, you’re certainly the best reason to keep going. It is not about how many people come here or how the stats add up.  All that matters is that I’ve discovered you at all; that keeps me going. That connection means so much to me, and I hope you know that.

There is no big or small here. It all counts.