Monday, November 9, 2009

Uncle Nick Is An Ironman!

Uncle Nick Is An Ironman!

Nick Yoxall is William’s Uncle. He is also a very smart, funny, kind, and strong man who will be competing in his first Ironman competition on November 29th in Cozumel, Mexico. To prepare for what is considered one of the toughest single day endurance events in the world he has been training for many months. For those unfamiliar with the specifics it consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. While Nick claims to “swim like a rock and run like a tortoise” we know that he’s been putting in an incredible amount of time, effort, and physical pain to get his body and mind in shape for the event. We also know that Nick, like William, will complete his endurance race and enjoy the rewards that come from his efforts.

While slogging through a long run recently Nick thought…


“I haven’t seen Will too much during this time and he’s been going through a much tougher time than I. The last time I saw him he had already been through more treatment than any boy should, with a more serious round on the horizon. Yet when I saw him his spirit was strong and his will unbroken. I dug a little deeper, finished my run, and thought “what if we used the event to raise a few dollars to help out Will and his family?”

“Since it will be Thanksgiving when I race in Mexico maybe we can ask some people to spare a few dollars and a minute’s thought for Will and his family. If I can push myself through 140.6 miles of racing maybe they would be willing to pledge their support. Then when my moments of doubt occur during the race maybe it will provide the little bit of inspiration and encouragement to push on to the end, just like that day a week or so ago when that long run seemed so tough. Let’s be creative, they can sponsor a flat fee, an amount per mile, they can sponsor based on time, even weight loss if they like, anything.”

Go Uncle Nick! Here’s a chance to support two brave people with a single pledge. It’s an opportunity to encourage Nick in his big event while helping William and his family. If you would like to make a pledge please click on the donate button and let Nick and William know you are thinking of them this Thanksgiving.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Light The Night!

Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fund raising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost.

This year there will be teams in two cities walking to support William!

  • On Oct 1st, 2009 Team Will OHIO is participating in Light the Night walk. . We will leave Fraze Pavilion in Dayton and walk 2 miles starting at 7:30pm.
  • On Oct 10th, 2009 Team Will California is participating in Light the Night walk. We will leave Palo Alto High School and walk 2 miles starting at 7:30pm.
To support Team Will, please go to http://www.giveforward.org/TeamWill/!

Thank you for your continued support!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Happy Belated Birthday William!


Happy Belated Birthday to William. 5 Years! That is a big number. And here's another big number: $5,595!!! We did it. Thank you so much to all the family, friends, and friends of friends who have helped us reach our fund raising goal.

Thank you so much, and Happy Birthday William!

The 5x5 Fund Raising Team,
Joanne, Megan and Geri


Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Way more than 2,300 Thank You's


Glass Half Full 
Team Kaplan Nears the $2.5K Mark! 



In just a few short days -- and with your generous help -- Team Kaplan has raised over $2300 to offset William's medical expenses! That's near enough to see the halfway mark in the 5x5 challenge!

That's like 2300 hundred smiles. 2300 laughs. 2300 sunny days. 2300 wishes. 2300 rainbows. 2300 "I Love Yous." And waaaaay more than 2300 THANK YOU'S! All rolled up into one terrific, inspiring, and brave little boy!

But as avid sports fan William will tell you (and some of us are still smarting from the whiffleball licking had at the hands of the Kaplan Boys -- ahem), the game is won in the second half! With just twelve days to go until William turns 5, we still need to raise $2700, or $220 a day, to meet the challenge!

Please continue to pass along William's message and help us reach our 5x5 goal! And check back soon for the next update.

Want updates on Will's progress? If you would like to subscribe to get regular updates, or have any other questions, just send us an email and we’ll put you on the contact list. We’ll be posting frequently to let you know the progress toward our fund raising goal, with updates on William's treatment.

Thanks,
The 5 x5 Fundraising Team
Megan, Geri & Joanne

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A Thousand Thank Yous!

Actually, more like one thousand, three hundred and ninety thank yous! Yes, the 5x5 fund raising total has already reached $1390! (And that only includes online donations.) We aim to raise another $3610 in the next 19 days as Will approaches his 5th birthday. Thanks to everyone who has responded so far! If you'd like to forward the information on the 5x5 fundraiser to someone in an email, please just copy and paste this link: http://williamkaplan.blogspot.com/2009/06/5x5-challenge-kickoff.html

Thanks again!

The 5x5 fund raising team
Joanne, Megan, and Geri

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

5x5 Challenge Kickoff!

Where there’s a Will there’s a Way….

Thank you for joining the 5x5 Challenge,
our drive to raise $5000 by William’s Fifth Birthday on July 11th! Click here to donate now.

Will Kaplan has cancer.

He also has loving parents (and a big brother) with a large and supportive circle of family and friends. That’s why we’ve started the “5x5 Challenge” – a meaningful – and easy – way for you to help the Kaplans get through this difficult time.

What is the 5x5 Challenge?

We’re going to raise $5000 for the Kaplans by Will’s 5th birthday. That’s the 5x5 Challenge.
Get it?

Like us, maybe you have wondered, “I’ve heard Will’s story, and I want to help, but I don’t know how.” We know your heart goes out to Laura, Scott, Ben and William during this difficult time and you want to do something. It’s hard to know where to pitch in.

The good news is that Will’s Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (or ALL) is highly treatable.
But it usually requires 2-4 years of expensive chemotherapy.

While the Kaplan’s focus on Will’s illness (and recovery), they face other hurdles as well. One of the biggest challenges facing families with a critical illness is the mounting out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Even though the Kaplan’s have good health insurance,
the remaining balance has quickly added up to unexpected thousands of dollars.

So we’ve created an easy, online place where you can donate to the cause. It’s secure, run through PayPal, and you can quickly and easily donate from a credit card or bank transfer in seconds. All money donated will go directly to cover medical expenses related to William’s care and get him on the road to recovery and running around the backyard again.

William’s fifth birthday is just a month away!
We need your help today to raise $5000 by July 11!
Just click on the Donate button (to the left) or click here now to make a donation.
Would you like to send a check? Email us for the account name and address.

Spread the word, too! Please share this message with your circle of friends! Every little bit helps us get to the 5K goal! Email, Facebook, Twitter, text, etc. this story and the “challenge” to everyone you know.

Want updates on our progress? If you would like to subscribe to get regular updates, or have any other questions, just send us an email and we’ll put you on the contact list. We’ll be posting frequently to let you know the progress toward our fund raising goal, with updates on William's treatment.

Thank you for your generosity, because we are all in this together.

The 5x5 fund raising team
Joanne, Megan, and Geri

Where there is a Will there is a Way…to raise $5K!”