Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia


Sunday, July 15, 2012

Supporting the Team

     Over the past 24 hours, hundreds of runners have been doing loops around the Philadelphia Art Museum, Kelly Drive, and West River Drive.  They began around 10:00 am on Saturday and didn't finish until 10:00 this morning.  Some were "lone rangers", running as many miles as they could in 24 hours.  Others were part of 5-person relay teams also covering tons of miles throughout the day.  All were part of the Back On My Feet (www.backonmyfeet.org) fundraiser, known as the 20 in 24.  It's a truly amazing event for a great cause.
     Originally, I had signed up to participate in the event as part of a relay team.  Unfortunately, a hamstring injury suffered last month forced me to withdraw from the team, but thankfully, I was able to be replaced.  In addition to financial support, I wanted to show the team my emotional support so I went over last night with my son Ben to cheer the runners on.  In this picture are two members of the team I was to be on, Paul Canton and John Stelmaski.  They each ran roughly 25+ miles, as did the other members of the team.
     As Ben and I were leaving the Art Museum Area, we came across two young women who appeared to be sightseers, holding an i-phone and taking pictures.  I asked them if they wanted me to take their picture.  After a moment's hesitation, they said, "Sure", and then quickly went to a scenic spot for the photos.  They were certainly enthusiastic, asking our names and Ben's age, and thanking us repeatedly.  It's one of those simple gestures that I try to keep an eye out for, as most people really appreciate it.

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