5/17/2013 8:34:44 AM
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
A Peace of Kate | Maura Finneran Marden
Good afternoon Bay Head 5Kers,
Tomorrow is The 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by The Kate Shea Foundation! The weather is shaping up to be beautiful for the run/walk and after party, with temps in the low 70's! Attached below is the map and directions of our beautiful new course that is flat,fast and contains very few turns.
Remember to join us at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant from 12 noon till 5pm following the race for our official summer kick-off after party! We will have a 2 hour open bar, beach BBQ, DJ, prizes and much much more. Please visit us at www.bayhead5k.com to register today, for both the run/walk and the after party.
Below is our final "Peace of Kate" for this year. It is brought to you by Cait Finneran. It is in honor of her sister Maura Finneran Marden. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Maura, her story below exemplifies the courage and tenacity it takes to never give up hope and to always need those important to you. Thank you Cait for sharing, welcome back to the Bay Head 5k Memory Run, and we look forward to celebrating your sister at tomorrow's event.
Please see below Cait's "Peace of Kate" and for all information and important updates on our event. We look forward to an excellent day with you all!
As Always,
Tomorrow is The 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by The Kate Shea Foundation! The weather is shaping up to be beautiful for the run/walk and after party, with temps in the low 70's! Attached below is the map and directions of our beautiful new course that is flat,fast and contains very few turns.
Remember to join us at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant from 12 noon till 5pm following the race for our official summer kick-off after party! We will have a 2 hour open bar, beach BBQ, DJ, prizes and much much more. Please visit us at www.bayhead5k.com to register today, for both the run/walk and the after party.
Below is our final "Peace of Kate" for this year. It is brought to you by Cait Finneran. It is in honor of her sister Maura Finneran Marden. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Maura, her story below exemplifies the courage and tenacity it takes to never give up hope and to always need those important to you. Thank you Cait for sharing, welcome back to the Bay Head 5k Memory Run, and we look forward to celebrating your sister at tomorrow's event.
Please see below Cait's "Peace of Kate" and for all information and important updates on our event. We look forward to an excellent day with you all!
As Always,
Run Fun
Ed Shea
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
********************************************************************
From: The Westport News
Maura Marden was always a tough athlete. A swimmer and a marathon runner, Marden was used to fighting through pain.
But on Aug. 7 her resilience and toughness made a lasting impression on all those at the annual SWIM Across the Sound fundraiser. Despite being in the midst of a battle with cancer, the 53-year-old Marden participated in the swim along with her three sons and family friends.
"We thought she would swim for maybe five minutes and that would be enough time in the water for her," said Bill Marden, Maura's husband, who was in the boat beside her. "But she yelled up `give me 10 more.' She was so enthusiastic and she swam for 10 more minutes."
Maura Marden died on Monday, ending a four-year battle with cancer. Her family and friends said that final swim with her family meant everything to her.
"For two years she never, ever complained," said Bill Marden. "Every morning she was up, she went to the gym, she lived her actual life and didn't let cancer get in the way. Every night she would make dinner."
"She was so thrilled when she finished and after the swim she was very sick," Bill Marden said. He added that his wife had been sick in bed until 3 p.m. the day before, but remarkably was healthy enough to participate in the part of the 15-mile swim from Port Jefferson on Long Island to Captain's Cove in Bridgeport that serves as a fundraiser for the St. Vincent's Medical Center of Bridgeport.
"I saw her the day before she went into intensive care," said Linda Johnston, a friend of Maura's for 22 years. "And she said, `The greatest moment was the day I swam with the boys.'"
Marden swam with her three boys -- David, 23; Danny, 21; and Bart, 19 -- all Division I swimmers at the University of the Pacific in California and graduates of Fairfield Prep, along with family friend Andy Davis and her oncologist, Dr. Neil Fischbach. Bill Marden served as captain for the group, called Team Pride II. In addition to swimming, she also raised more than $20,000.
Johnston said Marden "showed an awful lot of strength" during the swim and it was an amazing moment. She said a YouTube video shows Marden crossing the finish. "You can tell she wasn't well at that time, but she had to do it for her kids."
"Seeing Maura swim merely confirmed what everyone who has ever come in contact with her already knows, Maura Marden is one tough cookie who loves her family and does everything in her power to help those around her," said a close friend, Bill Loftus.
"It was vintage Maura, she gave it everything she had," said Loftus. Marden swam two, twenty minute legs in the race.
She also received an award for raising the most money for St. Vincent's Hospital. In her address to the crowd, Loftus said, Marden said that "she is living proof that the St. Vincent's Foundation provides an invaluable service to cancer patients in making their quality of life so much better and she encouraged the crowd to continue supporting this vital organization."
Loftus recalled some people questioning Marden's decision to swim while dealing with such a debilitating illness, especially because she was receiving six-hour treatments at Yale-New Haven, including one the day prior to the race. But, he said, "if you knew her, it made perfect sense. She was never happier than when she was at a swimming event with her family, especially one that was so dear to her heart. She used her illness as a platform to do good for others who were not as fortunate as she."
It was a selfless act totally consistent with her personality and character," Loftus said.
Marden first found out she had breast cancer in 2007 and, by 2008, it was gone, her husband said. Marden thought that was behind her, but in November 2008 she was diagnosed with Acute Myleogenic Leukemia. She was admitted to Yale-New Haven hospital. She endured chemotherapy in 2008 and a bone marrow transplant in 2009, which led to side effects and eventually an infection, said Bill Marden.
Through it all, he noted, Maura showed tremendous strength and was always there for her family. "From 2007 she never missed a day in the gym, never missed making dinner, she always put her responsibilities and desires ahead of the illness," he said.
Marden was active at Fairfield Prep, swam at the Westport Weston Family Y and was also known in Westport for a run at the second selectman seat with John Izzo in 2001.
"She was a beautiful woman. She was energetic, enthusiastic and outgoing," said Pete Wolgast, who was the Republican Town Committee chairman at the time. "She will be missed."
Johnston, who met Marden at the Westport Young Women's League, found running to be a common interest. The two worked out together frequently at Fitness Edge.
"It was like my Tuesday's With Maura," she said. "She had a great passion for life, was courageous, was a role model and I am lucky to have to got to know her."
Loftus, like Johnston, said he was lucky to have known Marden.
"As I told my children the other day, we can all learn a lot from the way that Maura lived her life," Loftus said. "I feel blessed to have the honor of calling her my friend and we'll all miss her greatly."
In addition to her husband and three sons from her first marriage, Maura Marden is survived by her stepchildren, Billy and Deli; her mother,Margaret P. Finneran; five siblings; and 12 nieces and nephews.
********************************************************************
From: The Westport News
Maura Marden was always a tough athlete. A swimmer and a marathon runner, Marden was used to fighting through pain.
But on Aug. 7 her resilience and toughness made a lasting impression on all those at the annual SWIM Across the Sound fundraiser. Despite being in the midst of a battle with cancer, the 53-year-old Marden participated in the swim along with her three sons and family friends.
"We thought she would swim for maybe five minutes and that would be enough time in the water for her," said Bill Marden, Maura's husband, who was in the boat beside her. "But she yelled up `give me 10 more.' She was so enthusiastic and she swam for 10 more minutes."
Maura Marden died on Monday, ending a four-year battle with cancer. Her family and friends said that final swim with her family meant everything to her.
"For two years she never, ever complained," said Bill Marden. "Every morning she was up, she went to the gym, she lived her actual life and didn't let cancer get in the way. Every night she would make dinner."
"She was so thrilled when she finished and after the swim she was very sick," Bill Marden said. He added that his wife had been sick in bed until 3 p.m. the day before, but remarkably was healthy enough to participate in the part of the 15-mile swim from Port Jefferson on Long Island to Captain's Cove in Bridgeport that serves as a fundraiser for the St. Vincent's Medical Center of Bridgeport.
"I saw her the day before she went into intensive care," said Linda Johnston, a friend of Maura's for 22 years. "And she said, `The greatest moment was the day I swam with the boys.'"
Marden swam with her three boys -- David, 23; Danny, 21; and Bart, 19 -- all Division I swimmers at the University of the Pacific in California and graduates of Fairfield Prep, along with family friend Andy Davis and her oncologist, Dr. Neil Fischbach. Bill Marden served as captain for the group, called Team Pride II. In addition to swimming, she also raised more than $20,000.
Johnston said Marden "showed an awful lot of strength" during the swim and it was an amazing moment. She said a YouTube video shows Marden crossing the finish. "You can tell she wasn't well at that time, but she had to do it for her kids."
"Seeing Maura swim merely confirmed what everyone who has ever come in contact with her already knows, Maura Marden is one tough cookie who loves her family and does everything in her power to help those around her," said a close friend, Bill Loftus.
"It was vintage Maura, she gave it everything she had," said Loftus. Marden swam two, twenty minute legs in the race.
She also received an award for raising the most money for St. Vincent's Hospital. In her address to the crowd, Loftus said, Marden said that "she is living proof that the St. Vincent's Foundation provides an invaluable service to cancer patients in making their quality of life so much better and she encouraged the crowd to continue supporting this vital organization."
Loftus recalled some people questioning Marden's decision to swim while dealing with such a debilitating illness, especially because she was receiving six-hour treatments at Yale-New Haven, including one the day prior to the race. But, he said, "if you knew her, it made perfect sense. She was never happier than when she was at a swimming event with her family, especially one that was so dear to her heart. She used her illness as a platform to do good for others who were not as fortunate as she."
It was a selfless act totally consistent with her personality and character," Loftus said.
Marden first found out she had breast cancer in 2007 and, by 2008, it was gone, her husband said. Marden thought that was behind her, but in November 2008 she was diagnosed with Acute Myleogenic Leukemia. She was admitted to Yale-New Haven hospital. She endured chemotherapy in 2008 and a bone marrow transplant in 2009, which led to side effects and eventually an infection, said Bill Marden.
Through it all, he noted, Maura showed tremendous strength and was always there for her family. "From 2007 she never missed a day in the gym, never missed making dinner, she always put her responsibilities and desires ahead of the illness," he said.
Marden was active at Fairfield Prep, swam at the Westport Weston Family Y and was also known in Westport for a run at the second selectman seat with John Izzo in 2001.
"She was a beautiful woman. She was energetic, enthusiastic and outgoing," said Pete Wolgast, who was the Republican Town Committee chairman at the time. "She will be missed."
Johnston, who met Marden at the Westport Young Women's League, found running to be a common interest. The two worked out together frequently at Fitness Edge.
"It was like my Tuesday's With Maura," she said. "She had a great passion for life, was courageous, was a role model and I am lucky to have to got to know her."
Loftus, like Johnston, said he was lucky to have known Marden.
"As I told my children the other day, we can all learn a lot from the way that Maura lived her life," Loftus said. "I feel blessed to have the honor of calling her my friend and we'll all miss her greatly."
In addition to her husband and three sons from her first marriage, Maura Marden is survived by her stepchildren, Billy and Deli; her mother,Margaret P. Finneran; five siblings; and 12 nieces and nephews.
********************************************************************
IMPORTANT UPDATE TO ALL RUNNERS/WALKERS
- Online registration for single runners/walkers will close at 6pm Friday evening May 17th (we will have a limited number of race day registrations as we are filling up fast)
- Early runner bag and race number pick up will be available between 6pm and 8pm this Friday evening for all pre-registered runners/walkers at the Bay Head Fire House
- Race day registration opens at 6:30am and will close promptly at 8am at the Bay Head Firehouse (81 Bridge Ave, Bay Head NJ)
- Please remember to arrive no later than 8am on race day as we will begin the procession from the firehouse to the starting line (which is on the corner of East Avenue and Howe St this year) immediately following opening ceremonies
- The run/walk will begin at 8:30am
********************************************************************
Other Reminders:
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
- Each team names their team whatever they choose
- Each team will be a minimum of 5 members
- Each member pays their $25.00 entrance fee and then pledges to raise a minimum of 75.00 more
- We have made the process very simple this year. You can invite friends to both join or donate to your team, via all social media when registering. i.e.. Facebook, Twitter, email
- Each team will be listed on our race shirts
- The top 3 teams in fundraising will also receive prizes for their efforts
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
5/13/2013 3:50:02 PM
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
A Peace of Kate | Ed Shea
Good Afternoon Bay Head 5Kers,
We are 6 days away until the 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by The Kate Shea Foundation. The weather is shaping up to be beautiful for the run/walk and after party, with temps in the low 70's ! Please visit us at www.bayhead5k.com to register for both the run/walk and what has become "The Official Summer Kickoff Party" taking place at Martel's Tiki Bar from 12 noon till 5pm, in our own private spot on the beach, including open bar, beach BBQ, DJ, prizes and much more.
We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces on Saturday!
Below is my "Peace of Kate" in honor of my sister Kate. In writing this I found myself drawn to speak to how it's ok to need people who are important to you and the acceptance of things entirely out of your control. Admittedly, these are two subjects that I can improve upon, and I work on both daily... I know that is all my sister Kate would want for me.
As Always,
We are 6 days away until the 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by The Kate Shea Foundation. The weather is shaping up to be beautiful for the run/walk and after party, with temps in the low 70's ! Please visit us at www.bayhead5k.com to register for both the run/walk and what has become "The Official Summer Kickoff Party" taking place at Martel's Tiki Bar from 12 noon till 5pm, in our own private spot on the beach, including open bar, beach BBQ, DJ, prizes and much more.
We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces on Saturday!
Below is my "Peace of Kate" in honor of my sister Kate. In writing this I found myself drawn to speak to how it's ok to need people who are important to you and the acceptance of things entirely out of your control. Admittedly, these are two subjects that I can improve upon, and I work on both daily... I know that is all my sister Kate would want for me.
As Always,
Run Fun
Ed Shea
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
********************************************************************
December twenty something……yesterday…
“Damn, it’s cold” I mutter to myself as I step out of the cab onto the corner of 101st and Madison in uptown Manhattan for what seems like the millionth time. Anyone familiar with NYC in the winter months knows it can be as cold and unforgiving a place as anywhere else on earth. The wind off the East River can chill you to the bone in seconds…. It would get colder soon…much colder…. but that comes later…
As I walk through the sliding doors and past the watchman I say my good evening to the gentleman behind the security counter as I always do, we don’t sign in or adhere to visiting hours anymore, these people know us all too well by now. No small talk tonight though, I need to get upstairs…. Kate needs me on the 10th floor.
I’ve walked through this atrium and down these corridors many times, and it is really a special place, architecturally it is beautiful, great angles, large open spaces, and the best part, tons of natural sunlight during the day, and dim lit and peaceful in the evening. I have always seen it as a place of hope and dreams…I don’t see it as a place of desperation and sadness as I witness in so many other’s faces here. There is too much goodness here. I don’t judge, God only knows the pain that these people are going through. You learn to deal with this your own way… and no way is the wrong way…
I push the button and quickly arrive on the 10th floor. It is always quiet here at night, the nurse’s station is in the center of the room, and there are twelve to fifteen rooms that wrap around it. All these doors are seemingly always open, the people here are sick, very sick, and I have seen these rooms change patients many times, too many times. I keep my head down on this floor, I give these other patients their privacy and have nothing but the utmost respect for them. Besides there is only one person I need to concern myself with tonight, and she is three doors down on the left.
As I walk into my sister’s room it is never lost on me how many regulations these people have allowed us to break, it’s Christmas time and you would think Kate’s room is Rockefeller Center. We have lights strung all about the room, decorations, gifts from friends of Kate’s are always surrounding her, we have a couch/bed that is adorned with comforters and throw pillows, Get Well letters galore and pictures of all our friends and family hung over the walls. She has a stunning view of Central Park and I can’t help but wonder what this 1 bedroom/1 bath would rent for if it were not in a hospital.
Kate is sound asleep, so frail, so tired of fighting, she needs this sleep more than anything. I will sit here and watch and talk to her for a while, and eventually nod off. I’ve done this countless times before.
I sleep here often, just in case Kate needs something throughout the night, my father, mother and I take turns, and when my other siblings are able, they rotate in. Erin has her 2 babies she has to take care of, Tim is in Vermont at college and Megan is in high school at St. Rose. We have an apartment right across from the hospital. Our “control center” in NYC…Camp Kate is never without a Shea, literally 24 hours a day.
I lie down on the makeshift bed and close my eyes. I drift off when suddenly I hear beeping and a loud commotion enter my dreams, and then the lights are on in a flash, and Kate is sitting upright in bed crying , surrounded by nurses, and I have no idea what the hell is taking place. She is pushing at the nurses and saying “Where’s my brother? “Where’s my brother?”
I hop onto her bed and say “I’m right here Kate!” “I’m right here!” I hold her head on my shoulder and hug her from a distance as I now realize she is having some form of anxiety attack in all of this…. “I’m here girl….I’m here. Just relax, keep your head down, hold my shoulders. Relax…shhh…relax…that’s it girl…..just breath.” She raises her head right then, and looks into my eyes, and she tells me something with them. I stare at her and talk back with my eyes saying “I get it Kate, I got it.” During this, one of the nurses has administered a sedative through Kate’s IV tube and I feel her anxiety begin to ease. She lies back down and she is quickly off to sleep again.
As everything settles and the nurses return to their station I sit there on Kate’s bed for a bit and stroke her face. I get up feeling strangely peaceful and walk out of the room. I take the elevator back down to the lobby and walk out onto Madison Avenue again. There is no cold anymore. My baby sister has just told me, in no uncertain terms, that she can’t do this any longer, she isn’t going to make it, she is going to die and she knows it. I feel like I might get sick, but tears just well up. I walk over to Central Park and just let it go…all of it comes out in a flurry and I find it hard to breath. My body eventually relaxes and I find myself exhausted in this long journey and by Kate’s revelation.
Kate passed away days later, at her funeral it was literally the coldest day I have ever experienced, and on the morning of her funeral my best friend Sean O’Rourke commented ….“This is the coldest goddamn day I can ever remember.” I knew right then it was Kate’s one last way of saying to me with her sly smile…..You thought it was cold the other night??...This is what cold really is. Kate influenced the weather that day I am sure, she wanted me to feel her on the loneliest day of my life…..and I did.
I needed you to get better for you, for the family and friends, and for me….. All you needed was me to hold you on that cold winter night at Mount Sinai…You are the most selfless person I had the honor of knowing and I will never forget that moment.
Even in death you came right to me when I needed you most. I love you girl…and I promise that whenever I bitch about the cold again, I’ll make sure to wear an extra layer….
********************************************************************
December twenty something……yesterday…
“Damn, it’s cold” I mutter to myself as I step out of the cab onto the corner of 101st and Madison in uptown Manhattan for what seems like the millionth time. Anyone familiar with NYC in the winter months knows it can be as cold and unforgiving a place as anywhere else on earth. The wind off the East River can chill you to the bone in seconds…. It would get colder soon…much colder…. but that comes later…
As I walk through the sliding doors and past the watchman I say my good evening to the gentleman behind the security counter as I always do, we don’t sign in or adhere to visiting hours anymore, these people know us all too well by now. No small talk tonight though, I need to get upstairs…. Kate needs me on the 10th floor.
I’ve walked through this atrium and down these corridors many times, and it is really a special place, architecturally it is beautiful, great angles, large open spaces, and the best part, tons of natural sunlight during the day, and dim lit and peaceful in the evening. I have always seen it as a place of hope and dreams…I don’t see it as a place of desperation and sadness as I witness in so many other’s faces here. There is too much goodness here. I don’t judge, God only knows the pain that these people are going through. You learn to deal with this your own way… and no way is the wrong way…
I push the button and quickly arrive on the 10th floor. It is always quiet here at night, the nurse’s station is in the center of the room, and there are twelve to fifteen rooms that wrap around it. All these doors are seemingly always open, the people here are sick, very sick, and I have seen these rooms change patients many times, too many times. I keep my head down on this floor, I give these other patients their privacy and have nothing but the utmost respect for them. Besides there is only one person I need to concern myself with tonight, and she is three doors down on the left.
As I walk into my sister’s room it is never lost on me how many regulations these people have allowed us to break, it’s Christmas time and you would think Kate’s room is Rockefeller Center. We have lights strung all about the room, decorations, gifts from friends of Kate’s are always surrounding her, we have a couch/bed that is adorned with comforters and throw pillows, Get Well letters galore and pictures of all our friends and family hung over the walls. She has a stunning view of Central Park and I can’t help but wonder what this 1 bedroom/1 bath would rent for if it were not in a hospital.
Kate is sound asleep, so frail, so tired of fighting, she needs this sleep more than anything. I will sit here and watch and talk to her for a while, and eventually nod off. I’ve done this countless times before.
I sleep here often, just in case Kate needs something throughout the night, my father, mother and I take turns, and when my other siblings are able, they rotate in. Erin has her 2 babies she has to take care of, Tim is in Vermont at college and Megan is in high school at St. Rose. We have an apartment right across from the hospital. Our “control center” in NYC…Camp Kate is never without a Shea, literally 24 hours a day.
I lie down on the makeshift bed and close my eyes. I drift off when suddenly I hear beeping and a loud commotion enter my dreams, and then the lights are on in a flash, and Kate is sitting upright in bed crying , surrounded by nurses, and I have no idea what the hell is taking place. She is pushing at the nurses and saying “Where’s my brother? “Where’s my brother?”
I hop onto her bed and say “I’m right here Kate!” “I’m right here!” I hold her head on my shoulder and hug her from a distance as I now realize she is having some form of anxiety attack in all of this…. “I’m here girl….I’m here. Just relax, keep your head down, hold my shoulders. Relax…shhh…relax…that’s it girl…..just breath.” She raises her head right then, and looks into my eyes, and she tells me something with them. I stare at her and talk back with my eyes saying “I get it Kate, I got it.” During this, one of the nurses has administered a sedative through Kate’s IV tube and I feel her anxiety begin to ease. She lies back down and she is quickly off to sleep again.
As everything settles and the nurses return to their station I sit there on Kate’s bed for a bit and stroke her face. I get up feeling strangely peaceful and walk out of the room. I take the elevator back down to the lobby and walk out onto Madison Avenue again. There is no cold anymore. My baby sister has just told me, in no uncertain terms, that she can’t do this any longer, she isn’t going to make it, she is going to die and she knows it. I feel like I might get sick, but tears just well up. I walk over to Central Park and just let it go…all of it comes out in a flurry and I find it hard to breath. My body eventually relaxes and I find myself exhausted in this long journey and by Kate’s revelation.
Kate passed away days later, at her funeral it was literally the coldest day I have ever experienced, and on the morning of her funeral my best friend Sean O’Rourke commented ….“This is the coldest goddamn day I can ever remember.” I knew right then it was Kate’s one last way of saying to me with her sly smile…..You thought it was cold the other night??...This is what cold really is. Kate influenced the weather that day I am sure, she wanted me to feel her on the loneliest day of my life…..and I did.
I needed you to get better for you, for the family and friends, and for me….. All you needed was me to hold you on that cold winter night at Mount Sinai…You are the most selfless person I had the honor of knowing and I will never forget that moment.
Even in death you came right to me when I needed you most. I love you girl…and I promise that whenever I bitch about the cold again, I’ll make sure to wear an extra layer….
********************************************************************
Other Reminders:
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
- Each team names their team whatever they choose
- Each team will be a minimum of 5 members
- Each member pays their $25.00 entrance fee and then pledges to raise a minimum of 75.00 more
- We have made the process very simple this year. You can invite friends to both join or donate to your team, via all social media when registering. i.e.. Facebook, Twitter, email
- Each team will be listed on our race shirts
- The top 3 teams in fundraising will also receive prizes for their efforts
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
5/6/2013 12:28:52 PM
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
A Peace of Kate | Marge Irving
Good Morning Bay Head 5Kers,
We are 12 days away until the 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by The Kate Shea Foundation. We are filling up at our fastest pace so far, so make sure to visit us at www.bayhead5k.com to register as a single runner/walker, or to create a team and run/walk in honor of someone who is affected by any disease.
This week we have " A Peace of Kate" written by Sheila Irving, a friend and supporter of The Bay Head 5k Memory Run since it's inception. Thank You for sharing Sheila, I know it took you a while to write about your mom and we are honored to share the story of your mother Marge. We look forward to celebrating your mother, and her life, with you and your family on May 18th.
Please see below Sheila's "Peace of Kate" and for all information and important updates on our event. We look forward to an excellent day with you all!
As Always,
We are 12 days away until the 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by The Kate Shea Foundation. We are filling up at our fastest pace so far, so make sure to visit us at www.bayhead5k.com to register as a single runner/walker, or to create a team and run/walk in honor of someone who is affected by any disease.
This week we have " A Peace of Kate" written by Sheila Irving, a friend and supporter of The Bay Head 5k Memory Run since it's inception. Thank You for sharing Sheila, I know it took you a while to write about your mom and we are honored to share the story of your mother Marge. We look forward to celebrating your mother, and her life, with you and your family on May 18th.
Please see below Sheila's "Peace of Kate" and for all information and important updates on our event. We look forward to an excellent day with you all!
As Always,
Run Fun
Ed Shea
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
********************************************************************
It seems like every time you turn around someone else you know is being diagnosed with some form of cancer. My family has been affected a few times. In April of 2003, my cousin was diagnosed with CML, a form of Leukemia. My family got involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and started to run and walk marathons and half marathons to raise money for awareness of this horrible disease. This is when we met the Shea Family!! My mother, Marge, was a walker and spent many a Saturday morning walking with Ray.
In October of 2006, Marge was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She was crushed, but determined to beat it. A week after her surgery, she was on a plane to Bermuda to visit our friends and had already made arrangements to visit a Dr. there if she had any problems!!! Following doctors orders, and doing exactly what she was told, Marge was a trooper through the chemo and radiation. Slowly but surely she got her strength back, but had to miss walking the Bay Head 5k in May of 2007. The chemo had wiped her out and she just wasn't strong enough to walk that year. She returned to Bermuda again in November of 2007, when our family went to have Thanksgiving with our friends. Marge got healthier and stronger and was sooo excited to be able to join the Shea family and walk in 2008. A few short months later, Marge started to experience some medical issues that we later found out that the cancer was back and had gone from her lymph nodes to her entire abdomen! Again, determined to beat the Cancer, she fought like a trooper. Unfortunately, the Chemo was just too much for her body to handle this time. Marge started Hospice two years and one day after her diagnosis. Marge fought for 3 weeks and was a true inspiration to everyone during that time. She had accepted that her fight was over and she was ready to move on to the next stage in her life. Everyone who came to visit commented on how Marge seemed to accept her fate with such dignity. Marge passed a week before her 64th birthday.
My mother was an inspiration to many, throughout her life, during her illness, and in her passing.
********************************************************************
It seems like every time you turn around someone else you know is being diagnosed with some form of cancer. My family has been affected a few times. In April of 2003, my cousin was diagnosed with CML, a form of Leukemia. My family got involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training and started to run and walk marathons and half marathons to raise money for awareness of this horrible disease. This is when we met the Shea Family!! My mother, Marge, was a walker and spent many a Saturday morning walking with Ray.
In October of 2006, Marge was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She was crushed, but determined to beat it. A week after her surgery, she was on a plane to Bermuda to visit our friends and had already made arrangements to visit a Dr. there if she had any problems!!! Following doctors orders, and doing exactly what she was told, Marge was a trooper through the chemo and radiation. Slowly but surely she got her strength back, but had to miss walking the Bay Head 5k in May of 2007. The chemo had wiped her out and she just wasn't strong enough to walk that year. She returned to Bermuda again in November of 2007, when our family went to have Thanksgiving with our friends. Marge got healthier and stronger and was sooo excited to be able to join the Shea family and walk in 2008. A few short months later, Marge started to experience some medical issues that we later found out that the cancer was back and had gone from her lymph nodes to her entire abdomen! Again, determined to beat the Cancer, she fought like a trooper. Unfortunately, the Chemo was just too much for her body to handle this time. Marge started Hospice two years and one day after her diagnosis. Marge fought for 3 weeks and was a true inspiration to everyone during that time. She had accepted that her fight was over and she was ready to move on to the next stage in her life. Everyone who came to visit commented on how Marge seemed to accept her fate with such dignity. Marge passed a week before her 64th birthday.
My mother was an inspiration to many, throughout her life, during her illness, and in her passing.
********************************************************************
IMPORTANT UPDATE TO ALL RUNNERS/WALKERS- Early t-shirt and runner bag pick up will be available between 6pm and 8pm the night before the race, May 17th, at the Bay Head Fire House
- Please remember to arrive no later than 8am on race day as we will be starting on East Avenue this year (Bay Head's version of Ocean Avenue!) We will start ushering all runners/walkers up to the starting line from the firehouse starting at 8:10
********************************************************************
Other Reminders:
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
- Each team names their team whatever they choose
- Each team will be a minimum of 5 members
- Each member pays their $25.00 entrance fee and then pledges to raise a minimum of 75.00 more
- We have made the process very simple this year. You can invite friends to both join or donate to your team, via all social media when registering. i.e.. Facebook, Twitter, email
- Each team will be listed on our race shirts
- The top 3 teams in fundraising will also receive prizes for their efforts
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
4/24/2013 9:51:30 AM
A Peace of Kate | Mike Farrell
Good Morning Bay Head 5Kers,
We are less than a month away until The 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run!
We are filling up at a great pace as usual this year and we look forward to throwing another great event and after party for you. I am so amazed at how our event has taken on a heartbeat of it's own. People join our event for a myriad of reasons, to honor someone who has been afflicted with any disease, to spend time with family and friends and to simply run/walk to raise money for cancer research. We have met and become friends with so many who have been affected by cancer, from the beautiful Meghan Rizzo and her family fighting with Leukemia ….to so many others that make our event so very special.
This year Mike Farrell and his family come to us and we welcome them with open arms. Mike passed after a long battle with Cancer. The team Toxic Avengers was put together by Mike's family, friends and colleagues. I want to say to Mike's family, that my family understands your pain, we know the loss of so much more than his just being here. You are not alone, and The Shea family along with the Rizzo family and so many other families are honored to welcome the Farrell family to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run. You're one of us now…. our extended family, on a determined mission to do our part in helping to cure all forms of cancer... we look forward to celebrating Mike's life with you.
Below is a "Peace of Kate" in honor of Mike Farrell...
As Always,
We are less than a month away until The 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run!
We are filling up at a great pace as usual this year and we look forward to throwing another great event and after party for you. I am so amazed at how our event has taken on a heartbeat of it's own. People join our event for a myriad of reasons, to honor someone who has been afflicted with any disease, to spend time with family and friends and to simply run/walk to raise money for cancer research. We have met and become friends with so many who have been affected by cancer, from the beautiful Meghan Rizzo and her family fighting with Leukemia ….to so many others that make our event so very special.
This year Mike Farrell and his family come to us and we welcome them with open arms. Mike passed after a long battle with Cancer. The team Toxic Avengers was put together by Mike's family, friends and colleagues. I want to say to Mike's family, that my family understands your pain, we know the loss of so much more than his just being here. You are not alone, and The Shea family along with the Rizzo family and so many other families are honored to welcome the Farrell family to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run. You're one of us now…. our extended family, on a determined mission to do our part in helping to cure all forms of cancer... we look forward to celebrating Mike's life with you.
Below is a "Peace of Kate" in honor of Mike Farrell...
As Always,
Run Fun
Ed Shea
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
********************************************************************
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
********************************************************************
In December 2011, Mike Farrell heard the words that no one ever wants to hear: “you have cancer.” After complaining of back pain and being diagnosed with what was thought to be pneumonia, Mike, unbeknownst to everyone around him, had been battling small-cell lung cancer. A non-smoker, Mike was diagnosed with one of the most aggressive types of cancer. But in typical Mike fashion, he tackled the diagnosis head on and readied himself to beat those cancer cells into submission. Through various rounds of chemo and treatment, Mike never lost his constant ability to light up a room with his smile and quirky sense of humor. His great taste in music and great circle of friends and family provided the positive energy he needed to get him through his treatments. The always active Mike became oddly addicted to “Law and Order” while making big plans for his "Act 2" (including creating a new company which he fondly referred to as the “POT REIT”).
Upon hearing in May of 2012 that the cancer had left, Mike made a goal to walk the Bay Head 5k; something that to all of us seemed an impossible goal since the treatments had left his body beaten and battered. Just walking to the car took all his effort. Mike wanted to walk last year, but upon persuasion from all of us, we convinced him to wait a year to practice enough so that he could beat us all in the race.
However, in August, Mike heard those words again and this time it was worse: the cancer had spread. Going back for more aggressive treatments, Mike continued to fight and still never lost his confidence that he would beat this. However, on October 21, 2012, Mike’s courageous effort wasn’t enough and he went home to heaven. In our minds and hearts, Mike will always be our superhero in so many ways and so to honor Mike, our family will be running the Bay Head 5k for him.
The name, “Toxic Avengers”, is taken from one of the basketball teams Mike used to play on. At the time, we all wondered "why on earth would you name a basketball team that?". But now, we think we have found a meaningful way to repurpose the team name to honor our superhero. We are walking this race now to raise money for the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, the Kate Shea Foundation (which is generously allowing us to participate in this event as a team) and, most importantly, for Mike. We want to avenge those toxic cancer cells that took him away from us too soon and hope to start to find a cure for this terrible disease.
So please join us and be a TOXIC AVENGER for Mike!
Upon hearing in May of 2012 that the cancer had left, Mike made a goal to walk the Bay Head 5k; something that to all of us seemed an impossible goal since the treatments had left his body beaten and battered. Just walking to the car took all his effort. Mike wanted to walk last year, but upon persuasion from all of us, we convinced him to wait a year to practice enough so that he could beat us all in the race.
However, in August, Mike heard those words again and this time it was worse: the cancer had spread. Going back for more aggressive treatments, Mike continued to fight and still never lost his confidence that he would beat this. However, on October 21, 2012, Mike’s courageous effort wasn’t enough and he went home to heaven. In our minds and hearts, Mike will always be our superhero in so many ways and so to honor Mike, our family will be running the Bay Head 5k for him.
The name, “Toxic Avengers”, is taken from one of the basketball teams Mike used to play on. At the time, we all wondered "why on earth would you name a basketball team that?". But now, we think we have found a meaningful way to repurpose the team name to honor our superhero. We are walking this race now to raise money for the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, the Kate Shea Foundation (which is generously allowing us to participate in this event as a team) and, most importantly, for Mike. We want to avenge those toxic cancer cells that took him away from us too soon and hope to start to find a cure for this terrible disease.
So please join us and be a TOXIC AVENGER for Mike!
********************************************************************
Other Reminders:
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
- Each team names their team whatever they choose
- Each team will be a minimum of 5 members
- Each member pays their $25.00 entrance fee and then pledges to raise a minimum of 75.00 more
- We have made the process very simple this year. You can invite friends to both join or donate to your team, via all social media when registering. i.e.. Facebook, Twitter, email
- Each team will be listed on our race shirts
- The top 3 teams in fundraising will also receive prizes for their efforts
We wanted to make sure all team captains knew how to set up team fundraising campaigns if they wanted to. Below, please find info on how to set it up.
In order to set up a donation campaign for your team, please go to our donation campaign at http://grouprev.com/bayhead5k-2013
Here you will see a BLUE Create Your Page Link
Here you can create a team page. This will provide you a link that can be mailed out for your team to send supporters to. When they donate on this page, it will show up as a donation for your team and add to our overall total.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can email info@bayhead5k.com and we will get back to you quickly.
All of us at the Bay Head 5K and Kate Shea Foundation very much appreciate your support.
After Party
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
4/12/2013 9:36:30 PM
A Peace of Kate | Krista Coppola Patterson
Bay Head 5Kers,
How is your fundraising going thus far? You are a very important part of our ability to raise funds for Leukemia/Lymphoma research. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions you may have at edfshea@optonline.net. We are rooting for you to reach and even exceed your goals! Thank you for your efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
Below is a "Peace of Kate" written by Krista Coppola Patterson. She is the sister of Meghan Rizzo who, along with my sister Kate, and so many others, we honor this year for her fight against Leukemia. Krista literally saved her sister's life through a bone marrow transplant. Thank you Krista for sharing with us and our family looks forward to spending May 18th with your family!
As Always….
How is your fundraising going thus far? You are a very important part of our ability to raise funds for Leukemia/Lymphoma research. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions you may have at edfshea@optonline.net. We are rooting for you to reach and even exceed your goals! Thank you for your efforts, they are greatly appreciated.
Below is a "Peace of Kate" written by Krista Coppola Patterson. She is the sister of Meghan Rizzo who, along with my sister Kate, and so many others, we honor this year for her fight against Leukemia. Krista literally saved her sister's life through a bone marrow transplant. Thank you Krista for sharing with us and our family looks forward to spending May 18th with your family!
As Always….
Run Fun
Ed Shea
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
********************************************************************
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
********************************************************************
Hi All,
I am so proud and honored to be participating in Kate’s race for my second time. Last year, Ed, his entire family, friends (especially the amazing Pat Tully), and strangers were all such an incredible inspiration and support system to my sister, Meghan, my brother and me. I do not have enough words to express my gratitude and deepest appreciation for including my sister and our family into your event honoring Kate’s memory.
About 18 months ago in an almost perfect world, I received a phone call that would change my life forever. My twin sister, Meghan, at 34, was diagnosed with AML a week after giving birth to her third daughter. Without hesitation I was on a plane and ready to fight like hell with her and for her three little girls. The next several months were a true testament to the strength, tenacity and grit that makes my sister who she is…a true badass. No amount of chemo would keep her in bed. Every day in the hospital for months she would walk up and down the hallway, and on days that her counts were too low to leave her room, she would walk back and forth in her room. Even if on some days it was just a few steps. On every walk we took she would say how she was visualizing walking up to the beach in the summer. It kept her going. And it worked. In less than a year, she had a baby on the bathroom floor, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, got in remission, had a stem cell transplant, had liver and kidney failure, moved, raised 3 kids, and finally got to take her first walk up to the beach… at Kate’s Race last May.
I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Kate, but I now have this vision of what a beautiful person she was from reading and hearing everyone’s stories and feeling the energy of all her loved ones at the race. I want to thank you Kate, for selflessly leading the way for others and for my sister.
Before the race last year, Kate’s Dad met my sister and said, “May Kate’s light shine on you today and every day.” I think that says it all.
See y’all at the race!
In health and hope,
Krista
I am so proud and honored to be participating in Kate’s race for my second time. Last year, Ed, his entire family, friends (especially the amazing Pat Tully), and strangers were all such an incredible inspiration and support system to my sister, Meghan, my brother and me. I do not have enough words to express my gratitude and deepest appreciation for including my sister and our family into your event honoring Kate’s memory.
About 18 months ago in an almost perfect world, I received a phone call that would change my life forever. My twin sister, Meghan, at 34, was diagnosed with AML a week after giving birth to her third daughter. Without hesitation I was on a plane and ready to fight like hell with her and for her three little girls. The next several months were a true testament to the strength, tenacity and grit that makes my sister who she is…a true badass. No amount of chemo would keep her in bed. Every day in the hospital for months she would walk up and down the hallway, and on days that her counts were too low to leave her room, she would walk back and forth in her room. Even if on some days it was just a few steps. On every walk we took she would say how she was visualizing walking up to the beach in the summer. It kept her going. And it worked. In less than a year, she had a baby on the bathroom floor, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, got in remission, had a stem cell transplant, had liver and kidney failure, moved, raised 3 kids, and finally got to take her first walk up to the beach… at Kate’s Race last May.
I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Kate, but I now have this vision of what a beautiful person she was from reading and hearing everyone’s stories and feeling the energy of all her loved ones at the race. I want to thank you Kate, for selflessly leading the way for others and for my sister.
Before the race last year, Kate’s Dad met my sister and said, “May Kate’s light shine on you today and every day.” I think that says it all.
See y’all at the race!
In health and hope,
Krista
********************************************************************
Other Reminders:
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
- Each team names their team whatever they choose
- Each team will be a minimum of 5 members
- Each member pays their $25.00 entrance fee and then pledges to raise a minimum of 75.00 more
- We have made the process very simple this year. You can invite friends to both join or donate to your team, via all social media when registering. i.e.. Facebook, Twitter, email
- Each team will be listed on our race shirts
- The top 3 teams in fundraising will also receive prizes for their efforts
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
3/28/2013 11:28:19 AM
Below is our first installment of our series we started called "A Peace of Kate." We started this series last year to put words, memories,feelings and now faces to our cause. This is the story of our friend Megan Rizzo who was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) at the age of 34. Meghan is a mother, a daughter and a sister who is presently in recovery. We at the Bay Head 5k Memory Run are proud to call her a friend, and simply put, Meghan is the reason we do what we do each year. Thank you Meghan for having the courage to share with us, and for bringing your beauty to the Kate Shea Foundation and it's mission to fund Leukemia and Lymphoma research for years to come.
Other Reminders:
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
As Always
Run Fun,
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
A Peace of Kate | Meghan Rizzo
Good Morning Bay Head 5kers!,
Below is our first installment of our series we started called "A Peace of Kate." We started this series last year to put words, memories,feelings and now faces to our cause. This is the story of our friend Megan Rizzo who was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) at the age of 34. Meghan is a mother, a daughter and a sister who is presently in recovery. We at the Bay Head 5k Memory Run are proud to call her a friend, and simply put, Meghan is the reason we do what we do each year. Thank you Meghan for having the courage to share with us, and for bringing your beauty to the Kate Shea Foundation and it's mission to fund Leukemia and Lymphoma research for years to come.
********************************************************************
Good morning ,
My name is Meghan Rizzo and I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia at 34 years old, 1 week after giving birth to my 3rd daughter.
I was told I needed several rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. I stayed in NYC for the next several months, family and friends never left my side, imagine there wasn't a minute I was alone - my family and friends were amazing.
Luckily my sister was a match for stem cell and we were quickly on the road to recovery. She saved my life. With several ups and downs I am now 18 months post transplant and cancer free.
There have been many advancements for blood cancer, I am blessed to currently be taking a maintenance drug that has only been on the market for a little over a year.
Currently I am blessed to be living in Little Silver N.J. with my husband David and 3 daughters, Maddie, Noelle and Carys.
Organizations like The Kate Shea Foundation are helping us get closer to a cure for leukemia and awareness of the need for stem cell donors. It is great to be part of the Bay Head 5k.
If you haven't yet joined the stem cell/bone marrow registry you can go to dkms.org or sign up on the day of the race for free!
Sincerely,
Meghan Rizzo
***************************************************************************
***************************************************************************
Bone Marrow Tent
We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a tent at our event this year to register to become a bone marrow donor. This is a simple swab process inside of your mouth that gets put into a national registry. As a bone marrow donor myself I can tell you there is no better feeling than getting the call to say you are a match to someone in need. Please take time to swing by the tent and register to help fight Leukemia and Lymphoma! More details will follow on this great addition to The Bay Head 5k Memory Run.
"A Peace of Kate"
I would like anyone who is interested in sharing a thought, memory or a short story about how they have been affected by a loved one fighting any form of Cancer, to please reach out to me directly at edfshea@optonline.net With your permission I would like to share these stories with our participants to honor as many as possible. We want this event to be about you and your loved ones, just as much as we want it to be in memory of our sister, daughter and friend Kate Shea.
Types of Registration
There are 3 ways to register this year;
1) As a single runner/walker
2) You can create a team to honor someone who has been affected in any way, by any disease
3) You can join an existing team
We started our team concept last year and it was a tremendous success! What better way to honor a loved one than to run/walk with your family and friends as a team, raising both funds, and awareness, to fight all forms of cancer. Here's how it works,
- Each team names their team whatever they choose
- Each team will be a minimum of 5 members
- Each member pays their $25.00 entrance fee and then pledges to raise a minimum of 75.00 more
- We have made the process very simple this year. You can invite friends to both join or donate to your team, via all social media when registering. i.e.. Facebook, Twitter, email
- Each team will be listed on our race shirts
- The top 3 teams in fundraising will also receive prizes for their efforts
There is also an option to purchase a ticket for the after party which will be held at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant Beach from 12pm to 5pm. This has become the party to kick off summer and is an excellent family event that is friendly for all ages. There will be a beach BBQ, 2 hour open bar, DJ , prizes and much more!
We look forward to throwing another amazing event for you this year. See you on May 18th!
As Always
Run Fun,
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
5/21/2012 2:32:39 PM
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BFF's
I, too, met Kate on a September morning nearly 27 years ago. We were both entering St. Rose Grammar School as new students about to tackle the seventh grade, and more dauntingly we were facing off against a pack of uniformed 12-year olds who had seemingly known each other from birth. Unfortunately for me that was where our similarities seemed to end. By 1985 Kate was already beautiful, poised, witty, and over 5-feet tall. I was not. As Bridget so eloquently wrote a few weeks ago, Kate made this transition appear effortless, and as I think back to my first days on that playground I am blessed to have the indelible images of her gorgeous smile serve as my most vivid memory. It can be written now with a sense of inevitability that within two short years Kate would go on to be named "Most Popular" by her eighth grade peers, but I believe this accomplishment was indicative of how she would live the rest of her life. Kate, though endowed with an abundance of exceptional attributes, warmly welcomed all people into her life, treated them with kindness, and left them somehow better for having met her.
Having fast become best friends, or "BFFs" in grammar school parlance, we moved on to high school with the requisite optimism, yet also comforted by the notion that we would be taking these steps together. And once again, by the sheer force of her presence, loyalty and inclusiveness, I was pulled along with her for the journey. This was no small task for Kate as I had now added braces to my particular brand of awkwardness. I can easily say that those four years were some of the best of our lives, and the friends Kate and I made back then are the very same friends that continue to honor her legacy and advance the fight against blood cancers on her behalf. More than any words written on a page this abiding commitment by those who loved her serves as the most fitting tribute to the woman Kate was and the life she lived so fully. I have heard often over the years (decades!?) since we graduated high school that for most that was a tortured time laden with dread, and I always wonder how our time together could have been so antithetical to the common experience. Ultimately, it comes down to the relationships that we formed and/or cultivated and the experiences we shared. I think it is safe to say that for those of us who knew her best Kate played a starring role in our fondest memories. She was that special.
As time passed and growing up was all the rage, passing nine notes a day to one another was no longer possible. Anyway we had just done that for the past six years and we were far too mature for such behavior. So mature, in fact, that we would laugh uncontrollably at the sound of my brakes squealing in front of her apartment near LaSalle University before we would head out for $10 All-You-Can-Drink at The Bank. Yes, we had really decided to buckle down.
Eventually adulthood began to set in and as I attempted to start some semblance of a career, Kate's spirit demanded that she pursue the decidedly less mundane endeavor of seeing the world. And so she did. This bold act is emblematic of the vitality and fearlessness of the daughter, sister, niece, and friend we lost far too soon. Kate would fall ill in Sydney, Australia as she was fulfilling her dream, and over the ensuing 13 months she would exhibit more strength, dignity, and grace than I am capable of articulating.
On the day of Kate's funeral her younger sister Megan, then just a young girl herself struggling through the worst time of her life, handed me a folded piece of paper when I entered the Shea's home. It was a note, one of the hundreds of handwritten notes that Kate and I had passed back and forth during much better days. Prominently displayed were the letters "BFF." Yes, on the coldest December day I would ever feel I was reminded that Kate would always be my best friend and she would always be the prettiest girl in school.
- Sean O'Rourke
Thank You | Peace of Kate | Sean O'Rourke
Hello All,
I wanted to take a second and thank you on behalf of my family Ray, Suzie, Erin, Tim, Megan, me and Kate for making this years event, and every year for that matter, an amazing success! It truly was an excellent run/walk and after party! I would also like to thank every member of The Kate Shea Foundation for their tireless efforts in Kate's memory. You are an amazing group of best friends to both Kate and I, and it is an honor to throw this event with you each year.
Much love to Ed Vincent, Patrick Tully, Marybeth Zwally, Bill Brennan, Fred Walther, Bridget Gannon Smith, Carrianne Brogan, James Schofield, Scott Colarusso and all of our many friends and volunteers for making our event one of the best!
I wanted to take a second and thank you on behalf of my family Ray, Suzie, Erin, Tim, Megan, me and Kate for making this years event, and every year for that matter, an amazing success! It truly was an excellent run/walk and after party! I would also like to thank every member of The Kate Shea Foundation for their tireless efforts in Kate's memory. You are an amazing group of best friends to both Kate and I, and it is an honor to throw this event with you each year.
Much love to Ed Vincent, Patrick Tully, Marybeth Zwally, Bill Brennan, Fred Walther, Bridget Gannon Smith, Carrianne Brogan, James Schofield, Scott Colarusso and all of our many friends and volunteers for making our event one of the best!
I hope this coming year brings you all the best of blessings, and I look forward to seeing all of your beautiful, smiling faces for next years 10th Annual Bay Head 5k Memory Run!
I would like to leave you with a final installment for this year (much more to come next year!) of "A Peace of Kate" from her best friend, and mine, Mr. Sean O'Rourke. Thank You for sharing Sean.
Ed Shea
Director
Kate Shea Foundation
Ed Shea
Director
Kate Shea Foundation
-------------------------------------------------------------------
BFF's
I, too, met Kate on a September morning nearly 27 years ago. We were both entering St. Rose Grammar School as new students about to tackle the seventh grade, and more dauntingly we were facing off against a pack of uniformed 12-year olds who had seemingly known each other from birth. Unfortunately for me that was where our similarities seemed to end. By 1985 Kate was already beautiful, poised, witty, and over 5-feet tall. I was not. As Bridget so eloquently wrote a few weeks ago, Kate made this transition appear effortless, and as I think back to my first days on that playground I am blessed to have the indelible images of her gorgeous smile serve as my most vivid memory. It can be written now with a sense of inevitability that within two short years Kate would go on to be named "Most Popular" by her eighth grade peers, but I believe this accomplishment was indicative of how she would live the rest of her life. Kate, though endowed with an abundance of exceptional attributes, warmly welcomed all people into her life, treated them with kindness, and left them somehow better for having met her.
Having fast become best friends, or "BFFs" in grammar school parlance, we moved on to high school with the requisite optimism, yet also comforted by the notion that we would be taking these steps together. And once again, by the sheer force of her presence, loyalty and inclusiveness, I was pulled along with her for the journey. This was no small task for Kate as I had now added braces to my particular brand of awkwardness. I can easily say that those four years were some of the best of our lives, and the friends Kate and I made back then are the very same friends that continue to honor her legacy and advance the fight against blood cancers on her behalf. More than any words written on a page this abiding commitment by those who loved her serves as the most fitting tribute to the woman Kate was and the life she lived so fully. I have heard often over the years (decades!?) since we graduated high school that for most that was a tortured time laden with dread, and I always wonder how our time together could have been so antithetical to the common experience. Ultimately, it comes down to the relationships that we formed and/or cultivated and the experiences we shared. I think it is safe to say that for those of us who knew her best Kate played a starring role in our fondest memories. She was that special.
As time passed and growing up was all the rage, passing nine notes a day to one another was no longer possible. Anyway we had just done that for the past six years and we were far too mature for such behavior. So mature, in fact, that we would laugh uncontrollably at the sound of my brakes squealing in front of her apartment near LaSalle University before we would head out for $10 All-You-Can-Drink at The Bank. Yes, we had really decided to buckle down.
Eventually adulthood began to set in and as I attempted to start some semblance of a career, Kate's spirit demanded that she pursue the decidedly less mundane endeavor of seeing the world. And so she did. This bold act is emblematic of the vitality and fearlessness of the daughter, sister, niece, and friend we lost far too soon. Kate would fall ill in Sydney, Australia as she was fulfilling her dream, and over the ensuing 13 months she would exhibit more strength, dignity, and grace than I am capable of articulating.
On the day of Kate's funeral her younger sister Megan, then just a young girl herself struggling through the worst time of her life, handed me a folded piece of paper when I entered the Shea's home. It was a note, one of the hundreds of handwritten notes that Kate and I had passed back and forth during much better days. Prominently displayed were the letters "BFF." Yes, on the coldest December day I would ever feel I was reminded that Kate would always be my best friend and she would always be the prettiest girl in school.
- Sean O'Rourke
5/7/2012 1:02:26 PM
Words can never do justice to the love I have for you Michelle for this and so many other countless reasons. I thank you everyday for your being there for my little sister…your best friend. I can't read your story without getting emotional. I know from the depths of which you wrote your beautiful memory... I love you, Jeff, Faye AND 50% of Ed:)... I am so proud and happy that you are in my life, and that you shared this story with me and everyone else.
A Peace of Kate | Michelle Lyons
Hello Bay Head 5kers!
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by the Kate Shea Foundation is quickly approaching, taking place on May 19th! We continue to fill up at our fastest pace to date! Please visit us at www.bayhead5k.com to register for both our run/walk and our excellent afterparty on the beach at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant N.J.
Last day for Team Registration is this Wednesday May 9th.
Last day for Single Runner/Walker registration is Tuesday May 15th.
We will have a limited number of race day registrations available this year due to the excellent response from our participants. So make sure you get pre-registered asap to ensure your spot!
Below is "A Peace of Kate" as told by her best friend Michelle Lyons, and in my family's eyes our sibling and other daughter. All of our "Peace of Kate" stories are so incredibly special to me.
Michelle lived every second of Kate's fight with me and my family. She drove every night from her job in Mount Vernon N.J. to Mount Sinai in Manhattan N.Y. to see Kate and support her and my family. EVERY NIGHT!
Words can never do justice to the love I have for you Michelle for this and so many other countless reasons. I thank you everyday for your being there for my little sister…your best friend. I can't read your story without getting emotional. I know from the depths of which you wrote your beautiful memory... I love you, Jeff, Faye AND 50% of Ed:)... I am so proud and happy that you are in my life, and that you shared this story with me and everyone else.
Enjoy everyone, and I look forward to seeing all of your smiling, flushed, excited, happy faces on May 19th for Kate's day!
Run Fun!
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
-----------------------------------------------------------
I met Kate almost 20 years ago, as she (and Marta) were peeking out the window in Bay Head, ready to approve/disapprove, as I picked up her brother Ed for our first date. Over the years we became the closest of friends. Kate was the type of person who always made you feel special or important. No matter where you were or what you were doing, it was the best place to be, and the best thing to do. She would make you laugh when you wanted to cry . . . even if it meant doing something silly or ridiculous to ensure your laughter and change of mood.
One thing that was so important to me, and always stands out in my mind, is how she handled knowledge of a tragedy that had occurred in my life years before I met her… the passing of my brother Jeff. I remember her asking detailed questions about him and what he was like. This did not stop with the initial inquiry, but rather continued through many phases of my life. Kate would ask at different times of my life, “I wonder what Jeff would say” or “I wonder what Jeff would think of this”. I can’t explain how special that was and how much it meant to me. They say that “character” is doing the right thing when nobody is looking. I think that is a trait that truly describes Kate. This is just another positive attribute to confirm that as beautiful as she was, it was not nearly the best part of her.
Miss her always,
Michelle
5/1/2012 9:16:12 PM
A Peace of Kate | Marta Fiordelisi Suhocki
Hello All,
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run/Walk hosted by the Kate Shea Foundation is right around the corner, taking place on May 19th. I am proud and excited to say that our goal of 30 teams has been reached to help fund Leukemia research! I am taken aback at the enthusiasm with which all of you helped by creating your 30 teams. Truly amazing. For this, I thank you on behalf of the KSF. Let's keep em' coming! We have 2 weeks left for registration, AND WE ARE FILLING UP FAST!
That being said, if you haven't created a team to join in our amazing day, please consider doing so. It is an excellent way to spend the day surrounded by your loved ones and to help in our fight against Leukemia. Single runners and walkers are always welcome to join our event as well.
Please join us post race for our after party at Martell's Tiki Bar in Point Pleasant, NJ, in our own reserved space on the beach, with open bar, beach BBQ, DJ and great giveaways all day long, including:
- Tickets for the Bon Jovi Bamboozle performance the following day
- Private Laurita box at Blue Claws stadium for the day
- Free gym memberships
- 50/50 raffle
- and so much more!
To register for both the race and after party please visit us at www.bayhead5k.com.
Again, thank you from all of us on The Kate Shea Foundation for supporting our event year in and year out, and I so look forward to seeing and spending time with all of you come May 19th!
Below is "A Peace of Kate" as told by her friend Marta. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks Marta for sharing! Look forward to seeing you all come May 19th!
Run Fun!
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
-----------------------------------------------------------
Click "Like" if you wish Heaven had a phone!
I guess to share a Peace of Kate, you would need to hear a little bit of how we met...I can remember it like it was yesterday. It started off as a typical 7th grade morning, mom kicking us out of the house, brothers in tow, making what should have been seconds to the bus stop seem like an eternity...we continue walking and I look up ahead at a brown station wagon parked at the bus stop. Eventually, this late 80's wagon would become pretty famous and would be renamed the "Shea-wagan." It also became our means of transportation throughout high school. Now, I see some lady (forgive me, Mrs. Shea) frantically waving her hands, pig tails popping up from the back seat, a dog barking with excitement, some feety pajamas, two other high school aged kids (that's a story for another day) and a tall girl about my age, wearing a long jean jacket and a pony tail on the top of her head, getting out of the car. I just figured someone missed the bus again, but it wasn't anything like that at all. The girl walked up to me, introduced herself and said, "Hi, I'm Katie." It was then that my day ended up being not so typical nor would be my life, after that.
I guess to share a Peace of Kate, you would need to hear a little bit of how we met...I can remember it like it was yesterday. It started off as a typical 7th grade morning, mom kicking us out of the house, brothers in tow, making what should have been seconds to the bus stop seem like an eternity...we continue walking and I look up ahead at a brown station wagon parked at the bus stop. Eventually, this late 80's wagon would become pretty famous and would be renamed the "Shea-wagan." It also became our means of transportation throughout high school. Now, I see some lady (forgive me, Mrs. Shea) frantically waving her hands, pig tails popping up from the back seat, a dog barking with excitement, some feety pajamas, two other high school aged kids (that's a story for another day) and a tall girl about my age, wearing a long jean jacket and a pony tail on the top of her head, getting out of the car. I just figured someone missed the bus again, but it wasn't anything like that at all. The girl walked up to me, introduced herself and said, "Hi, I'm Katie." It was then that my day ended up being not so typical nor would be my life, after that.
I really can't define one moment or one memory that was significant in our relationship because I would be here all day writing this. The time that I was lucky enough to have with Kate was always a special moment. She was kind to everyone, she was funny, goofy, and she was a sister to me. The car rides, St. Rose, Farmingdale, kitchen table talks with her family, Smoke and Josie (two of her many cats), Harris St. Bay Head, JL stops, trip to Cali, and so on...but one of the most interesting and funny times with Kate was our trip to NYC.
Mr. Shea was kind enough to get us tickets to an off Broadway play, I think it was called Gypsy Passion. Now, if you know the Shea's, one of the many stipulations that they put out there for Kate was to have me stay over on weekends, that and church on Sunday. So, we go to the play, we get our seats and we already have some reservations of what to expect, hence the name, regardless, we were excited. The lights go down and people start clapping and it's not the people in the seats, but the people on stage. They were clapping, clapping, clapping and clapping for two hours straight, that's it! I just remember Kate looking at Erin and I like what the hell is going on here??? It was that moment and so many laugh out loud moments that Kate and I shared that I cherish. I can see the expression on her face....And I miss that. Kate was so much to so many people, and MB was right, it does hurt to talk about her a little. Sometimes, I just want to pick up the phone and hear her voice on the other end, and It sucks that it's not...I really wish heaven had a phone...
I think what helped me heal was the start of the Kate Shea Foundation, and the Bay Head 5K Memory Run by her family and friends. It is this and the gift of dreams that keeps her memory with me, just as I remembered Kate in them... Fun, Young, Beautiful and Free from cancer!
Love you, Girl!
Marta Fiordelisi Suhocki
4/24/2012 6:14:21 PM
A Peace of Kate | Bridget Gannon Smith
Hello All,
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run hosted by The Kate Shea Foundation is quickly approaching! We are very excited for this year’s run/walk and the buzz that continues to build around it. I am pleased to report that we have 25 teams already signed up for our amazing event! Please consider registering as a team with a group of friends and family. This is an excellent opportunity to spend a great day surrounded by your loved ones, and to meet new and exciting people all united in the fight against Leukemia! Single runners and walkers are always welcome also. We are filling up very quickly, so I suggest registering as soon as possible.
Please also join us for our "summer kick off party" on the beach in our own reserved spot, at the Tiki Bar In Point Pleasant, for an amazing after party filled with good music, an excellent beach BBQ and open bar, plus great giveaways all day long! To register for the run/walk and to purchase tickets to our after party please visit us at www.bayhead5k.com.
Below is "A Peace of Kate", as told by our friend Bridget Gannon Smith. Let me preface it by saying B is our resident theatrical nut and we love that about her! This will become clear in her unique, beautiful and funny story. Please enjoy it, and I am very excited to see you all to celebrate Kate's Day!
Run Fun People!
Ed Shea
Director
The Kate Shea Foundation
The Bay Head 5k Memory Run
www.bayhead5k.com
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"We were children together"
I was 11 she was 12, one of a few new classmates sitting anxiously in a chair clicking a pen and shaking her leg. I first met Kate when she was referred to at Kati or Katie Shea or “the new hot girl” by every boy in our class – on the 1st day of 7th grade at St. Rose Grammar School back in 1985.
Although she sported a pleated two-feet-too-long hideous brown plaid uniform skirt (like the rest of us) and hair styled much like this hopeful contestant Wendy from “My Feathered Hair” contest (click here for visual), Kate seemed to have a verbal edge by throwing comebacks in a room full of newbies… I decided to take her under my wing. After all, being at a new school was intimidating - I learned this same lesson when I had transferred to same school in 2nd grade.
After that first day of Mrs. Spanarkel class (aka Spanky), we completely hit it off. She also scored major points for instantly telling me apart from twin my sister, Julie. A feat that even the principal after 6 years in her office hadn’t yet mastered. I quickly told her if she truly wanted to fit-in she had to push her socks down, pop her peach blouse collar, roll her polyester sweater sleeves up and most importantly surrender her purple vent brush for me to comb my newly Sun-In’d locks. She quickly retorted, “What the hell is this? The Pink Ladies?” She spoke my language - psyched to have this new friend “Grease is the word!” I quickly introduced her to other Pink Ladies and from that day it was decided that our classmates would know Kate Shea, Stef Hopps, Christina Vaccaro and Bridget Gannon as “The Friendly 4”.
Who likes Sean this week? Who is borrowing whose Firenza sweater? How many shades of Wet ‘n Wild eyeliner and Silver City Pink Lipstick we could get away with wearing under the nose of the late sister Margaret Mary who was too busy "picking " her own to notice? Who had the daily record on Capri smoke rings? Who could get us the best grade on Mrs. Leonhard’s English test? Kate could date all Sean’s 7A and 7B, rock a striped cardigan, get thrown out of Sears for stealing lipstick, blow smoke in the girls’ room and up the nun’s habit in a day’s work.
Most folks remember Kate’s unhealthy infatuation with Richie Sambora and all things Bon Jovi – yet she also had a soft spot for musical theatre… another reason why we got along so well. At lunch recess everyday, Stef and I would teach Christina and Kate all of the songs that we knew which spanned Mary Poppins to Momas and the Papas. We produced, choreographed, and performed a daily routine for our classmates out on the blacktop–- adding variety by switching lyrics with swear words and phrases that rhymed with the infamous name” Jeckadon”.
This is a picture of one of our fine moments singing “Were Doin’ A Show...” notice the boys trying to pick up our amazing moves. That’s left to right: Christina, Stef, Kate and me (Scott and Josh). Kate is wearing her beloved denim women’s Deb Joy blazer-I think she wore this everyday as a winter coat for 18 months.
Kate lived in Farmingdale, which to a bunch of unlicensed tweenagers seemed like it may as well have been Pennsylvania. But she and her family always were very welcoming to us. We spent weekends for the next 2 years rotating sleeping over the 4 of our houses. Hanging out, torturing each other about guys, shopping for the latest 1980’s trends - we looked so rad in our stacked multi-color wigwams, stretch minis and boots. Sneaking booze on the 8th grade trip, torturing Booger at the Bradley Beach movie theatre, waiting for Kate’s mom to pick us up in the schwaggon at Don’s Pizza King, getting ready for countless dances, playing truth or dare with all of the boys at The Vaccaro’s house, going to endless soccer games, dancing to Zip Zappity Zoom at the annual Christmas play, kickin’ it at Welsh Farms, babysitting Timmy and Meg Shea, taking verbal beatings from brother Ed, listening to Kate idolize over her older “little” sister Erin – (Kate was tall and Erin is like a pixie) and engaging in random conversation with Mayor Ray Shea and the Suz.
Ah the memories... I would go on into my high school years, but I‘ve got wrap this up as it’s after 11pm, I’m 38 years old and Kate, your brother Ed is still calling me a hooker for not getting this entry to him last night!
Don’t go changin’ to impress anyone in heaven
M-A-R-A-N-A-T-H-A
Bridget
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