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Hello to my friends, family... and friendly strangers! I am thrilled to announce that I am giving my trusty bike a break to train for a marathon. (Yes, a real marathon!) More importantly, I’ve set a personal goal of raising at least $4,000 for AIDS Project Los Angeles. AIDS Project Los Angeles provides food, dental care, housing assistance, mental health counseling, case management and home health care to thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS. APLA has also partnered with several organizations across the globe to prevent HIV both at home and in Africa, India, China, and Latin America. Over
the past two years, I've done two AIDS (bicycle) rides and am changed from my experiences. I've met people that have lost their parents,
children, and partners to this disease. These individuals turn their loss
into motivation to help others and move forward. I've befriended people living with HIV/AIDS that look to the future with unwavering hope and humor. Witnessing such optimism has brought tears to my eyes on so many occasions. As many of you know quite well,
I am no runner. But, I am privileged to be healthy enough to run all 26 miles come marathon day, September 20th. Several days a week, I'm
up in the wee hours of the morning training and getting that much
closer to becoming the next Flo Jo! Every TINY BIT you can give improves the life of someone with HIV or AIDS! Speaking for today and for the past two years - thank you to all of the people that have given their support and encouragement! With Love, Janelle
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Howdy!
I apologize for not updating anyone on my happenings over the past month. Condensed version: I had a beautiful vacation in Europe. I did a 20 mile run in August. I'm back in school @ CSUN. TODAY I LEAVE FOR MAUI!
Thank you to alllll of YOU beautiful people for cheering me on and donating to APLA. YOU made it possible for me to be part of this marathon. I am full of gratitude and excitement as I get ready for my trip.
My marathon is this Sunday so please think "fast and happy" thoughts for me! I would not have made it this far without YOUR support so - if you're reading this please hug yourself on my behalf.
I'm off to go pack.. It's 2AM and my flight is in just a few hours. Should I even sleep at this point?
by Janelle Goforth on Fri, Sep 18, 2009 @ 3:57 AM
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I survived the plane ride to London! As many of you know, I am (deathly) afraid to fly. After some free wine, I tried to sleep as much as possible!
London is beautiful and so unlike any American city. We arrived last night and haven't ventured too far from the hotel yet. The family is a bit jet lagged and sluggish still.
I won't likely be updating much while I'm on vacation but wanted to say hello and "I'm safe!" to anyone reading. I'm not quite sure what we will do in the city but, I do know that we're going to France next week. I plan to soak up every moment with my family.
I have less than 2 weeks left to fundraise the rest of my $3,500. My access to a computer is quite limited so I am unable to do much fundraising. I'm crossing my fingers and reminding all that ANY AND EVERY DONATION HELPS. Thank you to the many friends and family members that have given so far. I have so much to be grateful for!
Cheerio.
by Janelle Goforth on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 @ 11:48 AM
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WOO HOO! I just found out that I'm going to Europe next Saturday to visit my dad! We (my sister, mom and I) will be flying into London with plans to also stay in France and Italy. I'm overwhelmed with excitement. I see my dad only a few times a year and I have been DREAMING about going to Europe for as long as I can remember. I'm the happiest of campers.
My only concern related to my trip is that I'm going to be OUT OF THE COUNTRY during the last two weeks of my fundraising. **My minimum $3,500 is due by August 7th!** I had plans to do a carwash and a few more small parties but it looks like Shakey's will be my last hurrah.
At this point, I'm going to talk to every man, woman and.. child (?) about this marathon and the cause it supports. I'm passionate about what I'm doing and I need to have faith that it will work out.
Tomorrow is an easy day at 8 miles. I think I'm going to spend a few hours on the beach with John and try to even out some of my wretched tan lines/shapes.
I have a busy and exciting week ahead!
by Janelle Goforth on Sat, Jul 18, 2009 @ 1:13 AM
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A few days ago I did 17 miles! And yes, I felt it! For the first time, my fingers began to swell from the combination of water intake and hours of running. I finished the day with little sausage fingers.
My running group started with 4 people and dwindled down to 2 by the time all the mileage was complete. I was so proud of my partner in crime, Melissa, for sticking it out despite swollen feet, the beating sun and Oscar Mayer phalanges.
Oh yes! I just booked another party to boost my fundraising:
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** Where: Shakey's @ 5321 Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood
** When: Thursday, July 23rd from 5PM-8PM
** How: After paying for your gourmet pizza, put your receipt in a box near the register and AIDS PROJECT LOS ANGELES (ME!) makes 25% of what you spend!
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This time around, I pay nothing to host the party and I can make a fair amount of money from people already at Shakey's ... if they are kind enough to put their receipt in my little box o' charity.
I hope that some of you can make it!
by Janelle Goforth on Tue, Jul 14, 2009 @ 1:28 PM
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My party has come and went! I've been meaning to update my blog for weeks.
Thanks to the generous donations of food, prizes and certificates, I made nearly $1000 for APLA! I can't believe it's over. I felt like I was planning a wedding!
To those of you that came to my fundraiser, your presence meant the world to me. Every ticket sold truly helped my cause and made me so grateful for the support of my friends.
I had a ball playing laser tag and enjoying the chaos of my party. People were constantly shuffling in and out between games, eating and talking. I never mastered the art of laser use but, no one should be surprised by that bit of news. During my first game, I didn't know how to unclip the laser gun from my belt so I literally shot from my hip the entire time. Smoooooth.
As of today, I have one month to raise $2,000. If anyone has any fundraising ideas -- please share! I'm thinking about a carwash.. Maybe a restaurant fundraiser?
Tomorrow is a big day in my training -- 17 miles! I should be heading to bed any minute. Note to self: embrace sunscreen. My tan lines are becoming increasingly abstract.
Goodnight, you beautiful people.
by Janelle Goforth on Sat, Jul 11, 2009 @ 12:51 AM
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Over the past few days, I have been visiting local businesses and my favorite vegan places to request donations for my party's raffle and silent auction. So far, I've been getting a great response.
Feeling lucky? You could win:
-Gift Certificates to Truly Vegan.
-Gift Certificates to Real Food Daily.
-Collection of Mary Kay Goodies.
-Gift Certificates to Vegan Plate.
-Jewelry.
Some items will be bundled together to make irresistible gift baskets.
Stay tuned, there's more to come..
THANK YOU TO THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE DONATED SO FAR. Your generosity is helping make my fundraiser a success.
by Janelle Goforth on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 @ 1:23 AM
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This Saturday, our training run was short and sweet - only 6 miles. Next week, we jump back up to 14. I'm just a weeee bit nervous.
After the run yesterday, John (my boyfriend) and I stayed in the area and spent the afternoon at the beach. Brilliantly, I fell asleep still wearing my running outfit and woke to a sunburn on my right leg where my pants cut off. I now sport a perfectly shaded florescent rectangle on my ankle. Aside from the burn, the day was beautiful.
Planning for my fundraiser is coming along fabulously. I got the tickets a few days ago and made a flyer. **Good news: I found out that unused tickets are good for one free game of laser tag! So, if you buy a ticket and can't boogie on the night of my party - go back to UltraZone and play another time.
More info about silent auction and raffle items to be up in a few days. I know that everyone loves winning things!
by Janelle Goforth on Sun, Jun 21, 2009 @ 11:56 PM
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YOU are invited to the social event of the season:
**Where: UltraZone LaserTag
14622 Ventura Blvd Ste 208
Sherman Oaks, CA
**When: July 9th, 2009, 6PM-10PM
**Cost: $15 Pre-Sale, $20 at the door
**Vegan snacks, sweets and (non-alcoholic) drink shall be supplied!
**Silent Auction and Raffles!
The more the merrier so please DO bring friends, enemies, boyfriends, girlfriends, exes, buddies, frienemies and acquaintances!
by Janelle Goforth on Sun, Jun 07, 2009 @ 4:01 PM
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I've been meaning to use this blog for weeks. I've been officially training for the Maui Marathon for over a month. Every Saturday at 7AM, about 40 runners meet at Santa Monica High school to run down the main walk in Venice (with the tattoo parlors and souvenir stores), then past the Santa Monica pier. As I often tell people, Saturday is the highlight of my week. The weather is always gorgeous, and I love being near the beach so early in the day.
Today was my first run in the double digits - 10 miles! Every week, our coach, Monica, asks the runners, "How many of you are running the farthest you've ever run this week?" Every week, I raise my hand.
It was a beautiful and especially meaningful day for me. About half way into my run, I started to see the familiar signs of "AIDS LifeCycle", the bicycle event that I've done the past two years. I forgot that the cyclists were coming home today after their week-long trek from San Francisco.
As I saw the cyclists ride past, I couldn't help but cheer, "GO RIDERS! WHOO-HOO!". I know their feelings of exhaustion, pride and excitement -- all of which peak on that home stretch back into Los Angeles. I think I'll join AIDS LifeCycle as a volunteer next year and see the event from a new perspective.
Feeling a little achy-breaky today. I took a "step" class at the gym earlier this week and hurt my hip doing some jazzy move. My joint feels like it's burning a bit. That's normal, right?
by Janelle Goforth on Sat, Jun 06, 2009 @ 10:06 PM
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Janelle If you are unable to donate online, please click here to download a donation form.
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