Five years ago, Marty Hogan, a Chicago-area dentist, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a rare form of leukemia. Typically known as “childhood leukemia,” the diagnosis is even rarer in adults.

ALL was once thought of as a death sentence, but over time, much thanks to organizations like the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the five-year survival rate has increased to about 90% (cancer.org).

When diagnosed, Marty set a goal. To walk the son that his wife was pregnant with to kindergarten. He added in some marathons along the way, even completing his first during treatment, with a port still connected.

This is the first episode in a multi-part series highlighting one of the groups that started it all, Team in Training. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a global leader in the fight against cancer.

The LLS funds blood cancer research that has helped significantly increased survival rates worldwide. Since 1949, the organization has invested over $1.5 billion in cancer drug and treatment research. Some of the therapies that have come from that research have extended into diseases other than cancer, effectively treating so much more.

In 1988, a man named Bruce Cleland organized a group of people to run the New York Marathon while gaining pledges toward cancer research. His toddler daughter had just successfully finished treatment, and he wanted to do something to make a difference. That “team” in marathon “training” raised more than $300,000 that year, but the effects lasted much longer.

Today, over 650,000 people have gone through the Team in Training program to date. Fundraising participants have brought in over $1 billion dollars. That amount has gone to research amongst other things. Cancer patients have benefitted from $431 million in co-pay financial assistance, and currently, there are over 200 research grants across the globe.

All of this is because of individual people working toward something bigger than themselves.

In this episode, hear not only personal stories, but fundraising and coaching strategies, advocacy work done at the state government level, research advances, and how a bunch of strangers become one big purple family.

In This Episode:

Stephanie Carlson, VP of Athletic Initiatives for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (and ultramarathon runner)Dr. Jen Reichek, Pediatric Oncologist at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago (and multi-year Boston Qualifier & Finisher)Coach Mark Gregory, Team In Training Area CoachDavid Mutnick, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society IllinoisScott Saxe, State Advocacy Leader for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society IllinoisMarty Hogan, Team In Training Marathon Finisher

When Carey Pinkowski took the reigns of the Chicago Marathon in the early 1990s, there were only a few thousand people who hit the roads to pound 26.2 miles of pavement.

Today, the race attracts tens of thousands vying for 45,000 spots in one of the six World Marathon Majors.

Hear the story from Carey’s running roots to how he turned the sport into a lifelong career as the CEO of Chicago Event Management.