Team in Training

An evening benefitting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

By: Josh Miller

Published On: August 31, 2010

Cheers greeted University of Louisville head football coach Charlie Strong as he arrived at Tony Boombozz Taphouse in Westport Village.

“How are you doing? Good to see you all!” Strong said, entering the restaurant. Children rushed to the front doors with hats and footballs hoping to get an autograph and photo with the new coach. Many of the adults wore Cardinal garb and sported smiles from ear-to-ear.

The event raised money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program. A $15 donation included all-you-can-eat pizza and non-alcoholic drinks. Raffle tickets were drawn throughout the evening, with prizes including autographed footballs, mini helmets and a box for eight people for a night of fall racing at Churchill Downs.

Event organizer Dustin Harryman has been fundraising for six years and raised about $25,000 for Team In Training. “We came to support my nephew and the TNT program,” Dustin’s aunt Joan Harryman said, adding, “We are also really excited to see Coach Strong!”

Co-worker Fariba Cox and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) employee Katie Anderson helped Harryman pull off the event. “Boombozz opened their doors to us; they have been amazing to work with,” Cox said. Anderson, who lost her father to leukemia when she was 11, said her family has helped raise money for LLS ever since. She has worked for LLS for more than six years in both Kentucky and California.

To date, more than 420,000 participants in Team In Training have raised more than $1 billion. Being the world’s first, biggest and best sports training and fundraising program, participants help in the fight against leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma by raising funds to support blood cancer research, education and services for patients and their families. If you want to become a part of Team In Training, call 584-8490 or visit www.teamintraining.org/k