Letter From Kat!
Question:
Friends, Kat gave me permission to post this letter here. I hope you’ll support her in this amazing endeavor! Jo EMail kataub…@prodigy.net Kathryn A. Taubert May 17, 2003, A friend of mine asked why, at 57, I want to swim 15 miles down the Hudson River between the Tappan Zee & George Washington bridges, when all I have to do is take a boat! Smiling, I realized the answer wasn’t as simple as it seemed, and its genesis actually started 15 years ago, when I first met Al. When you’re lucky enough to marry someone who is also one of those people you admire most, it can’t help but have a lasting effect. For those of you who knew Al, no further explanation is necessary. For those of you who didn’ t, suffice it to say that he was what I wanted to be "when I grew up." A man of uncommon character and clarity, caring for loved ones as well as those he didn’t even know, never losing sight of the need to care for himself too, he managed to have a lot of fun along the way! A lifelong athlete, I thought he would live to a 100. But cancer has a way of changing plans. Although he fought successfully for almost three years, it took him from us, if only in the corporeal sense. Last year, I got back in the water after many years. At the time I thought it was merely healthy, not having any idea the direction it would take. Finding my sea legs again, I found that the longer I swam, the better I felt. And in some odd way, I felt Al’s encouraging presence with every lap, as I always had during our years together. Before I knew it, I was non-stop swimming many miles, and feeling fitter than I had in years. And then one day, I discovered the Swim Across America, and things clicked. Raising money for cancer research by doing something I enjoyed, pursuing a challenging goal, and doing so in memory of someone dear, just made sense. Just before Albert passed away 17 months ago at 71, he was still playing soccer! Surely, at the "tender age of 57," I could swim a marathon for research into that terrible disease that took him from us. To participate in the July 25 Hudson River Swim for Cancer Research, however, I need to raise $3,000 before the event. There are two ways you can help if you wish: go to my personal page on the Chariteam website (http://kataubert.chariteam.com) and make your tax-deductible, donation by credit card (secure site). Or, send a check to me at the address above, made out to: HUDSON RIVER SWIM. (Write "for deposit only" on the back to insure safety.) I guess the answer to my friend’s question is this. I’m not only doing it because it’s challenging fun for a good cause, I’m doing it for Albert. It’s a way I can honor his memory that he would really enjoy. He might never have dreamed I’d do something like this (or would he?), but he would have loved it, and encouraged me every stroke of the way. I guess in some way, he actually is. It feels right. And I hope you’ll think so too. Warm regards, Kathryn
Response:
It’s so good to read that Kat is well. She is missed here. — Joanne Mom to Mat the brat! "Joanne Cohen" <joco…@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:wgTxa.22388$rt6.8954@sccrnsc02… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Friends, Kat gave me permission to post this letter here. I hope you’ll > support her in this amazing endeavor! > Jo > EMail kataub…@prodigy.net > Kathryn A. Taubert > May 17, 2003, > A friend of mine asked why, at 57, I want to swim 15 miles down the Hudson > River between the Tappan Zee & George Washington bridges, when all I have to > do is take a boat! Smiling, I realized the answer wasn’t as simple as it > seemed, and its genesis actually started 15 years ago, when I first met Al. > When you’re lucky enough to marry someone who is also one of those people > you admire most, it can’t help but have a lasting effect. For those of you > who knew Al, no further explanation is necessary. For those of you who didn’ > t, suffice it to say that he was what I wanted to be "when I grew up." A man > of uncommon character and clarity, caring for loved ones as well as those he > didn’t even know, never losing sight of the need to care for himself too, he > managed to have a lot of fun along the way! > A lifelong athlete, I thought he would live to a 100. But cancer has a way > of changing plans. Although he fought successfully for almost three years, > it took him from us, if only in the corporeal sense. > Last year, I got back in the water after many years. At the time I thought > it was merely healthy, not having any idea the direction it would take. > Finding my sea legs again, I found that the longer I swam, the better I > felt. And in some odd way, I felt Al’s encouraging presence with every lap, > as I always had during our years together. Before I knew it, I was non-stop > swimming many miles, and feeling fitter than I had in years. And then one > day, I discovered the Swim Across America, and things clicked. Raising > money for cancer research by doing something I enjoyed, pursuing a > challenging goal, and doing so in memory of someone dear, just made sense. > Just before Albert passed away 17 months ago at 71, he was still playing > soccer! Surely, at the "tender age of 57," I could swim a marathon for > research into that terrible disease that took him from us. > To participate in the July 25 Hudson River Swim for Cancer Research, > however, I need to raise $3,000 before the event. There are two ways you can > help if you wish: go to my personal page on the Chariteam website > (http://kataubert.chariteam.com) and make your tax-deductible, donation by > credit card (secure site). Or, send a check to me at the address above, made > out to: HUDSON RIVER SWIM. (Write "for deposit only" on the back to insure > safety.) > I guess the answer to my friend’s question is this. I’m not only doing it > because it’s challenging fun for a good cause, I’m doing it for Albert. It’s > a way I can honor his memory that he would really enjoy. He might never > have dreamed I’d do something like this (or would he?), but he would have > loved it, and encouraged me every stroke of the way. > I guess in some way, he actually is. It feels right. And I hope you’ll think > so too. > Warm regards, > Kathryn
Response:
"J&S Bouchard" <joanne…@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:i6Oya.7019$eo1.466560@news20.bellglobal.com… > It’s so good to read that Kat is well. She is missed here. > — > Joanne > Mom to Mat the brat!
Kat is certainly missed here. I hope some of you will consider sponsoring her! Jo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> "Joanne Cohen" <joco…@attbi.com> wrote in message > news:wgTxa.22388$rt6.8954@sccrnsc02… > > Friends, Kat gave me permission to post this letter here. I hope you’ll > > support her in this amazing endeavor! > > Jo > > EMail kataub…@prodigy.net > > Kathryn A. Taubert > > May 17, 2003, > > A friend of mine asked why, at 57, I want to swim 15 miles down the Hudson > > River between the Tappan Zee & George Washington bridges, when all I have > to > > do is take a boat! Smiling, I realized the answer wasn’t as simple as it > > seemed, and its genesis actually started 15 years ago, when I first met > Al. > > When you’re lucky enough to marry someone who is also one of those people > > you admire most, it can’t help but have a lasting effect. For those of you > > who knew Al, no further explanation is necessary. For those of you who > didn’ > > t, suffice it to say that he was what I wanted to be "when I grew up." A > man > > of uncommon character and clarity, caring for loved ones as well as those > he > > didn’t even know, never losing sight of the need to care for himself too, > he > > managed to have a lot of fun along the way! > > A lifelong athlete, I thought he would live to a 100. But cancer has a way > > of changing plans. Although he fought successfully for almost three years, > > it took him from us, if only in the corporeal sense. > > Last year, I got back in the water after many years. At the time I thought > > it was merely healthy, not having any idea the direction it would take. > > Finding my sea legs again, I found that the longer I swam, the better I > > felt. And in some odd way, I felt Al’s encouraging presence with every > lap, > > as I always had during our years together. Before I knew it, I was > non-stop > > swimming many miles, and feeling fitter than I had in years. And then one > > day, I discovered the Swim Across America, and things clicked. Raising > > money for cancer research by doing something I enjoyed, pursuing a > > challenging goal, and doing so in memory of someone dear, just made sense. > > Just before Albert passed away 17 months ago at 71, he was still playing > > soccer! Surely, at the "tender age of 57," I could swim a marathon for > > research into that terrible disease that took him from us. > > To participate in the July 25 Hudson River Swim for Cancer Research, > > however, I need to raise $3,000 before the event. There are two ways you > can > > help if you wish: go to my personal page on the Chariteam website > > (http://kataubert.chariteam.com) and make your tax-deductible, donation by > > credit card (secure site). Or, send a check to me at the address above, > made > > out to: HUDSON RIVER SWIM. (Write "for deposit only" on the back to > insure > > safety.) > > I guess the answer to my friend’s question is this. I’m not only doing it > > because it’s challenging fun for a good cause, I’m doing it for Albert. > It’s > > a way I can honor his memory that he would really enjoy. He might never > > have dreamed I’d do something like this (or would he?), but he would have > > loved it, and encouraged me every stroke of the way. > > I guess in some way, he actually is. It feels right. And I hope you’ll > think > > so too. > > Warm regards, > > Kathryn
Response:
‘Twas 26 May 2003 12:27:43 GMT when all alt.support.tourette stood in awe as cyberb…@aol.comNONITPIC (NONITPIC) uttered: >> Almost 85% of donations go to actually funding cancer >>research. >I didn’t find that info on the Swim Across America site. >What about Chariteam?
Brenda raises some legitimate concerns. There appear to be two organizations involved here: Chariteam and Swim Across America. How much is each one taking for overhead? For every dollar I give at http://kataubert.chariteam.com, how much gets to the final recipient? I know that Kathryn is a very smart and savvy lady, but she might not be that careful in this circumstance. Not that I let these concerns stop me from contributing. — RB |
