4th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Gleneagles Country Club

Plano, Texas

Space is limited!

Register today at our new website...

www.tacklecancerfoundation.org

R.I.P. Ryan
February 19, 1993 - February 19, 2009

I am too sad to eloquently explain how I feel right now. Below you will find the message we just received from Ryan's family. Some of you may remember that Ryan is the young man that Elijah met last year in Chicago. Ryan had been battling cancer for quite a while, but more important than that, he was a HUGE football fan (he really loved the USC Trojans). So needless to say Ryan and Elijah shared quite a bond. We were so lucky to have been able to participate in a surprise trip for Ryan to the NFL offices in NYC. I am grateful for being able to get to know him, see his smile and admire his spirit. Fight on Ryan! Heaven just gained itself the ultimate angel.

Ryan Davidson...Our Friend and Hero.

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts we tell you:

At 2:15 on February 19, 2009, and on his 16th birthday, the angels came and guided Ryan home. While resting comfortably and with his family near by, his 9 ½ year battle with cancer ended. And although his shell here on earth failed him much too early, his spirit is strong and will continue to live on in those of us lucky to have known and loved him. We have been blessed by his presence and look forward to the day that we join him in God’s castle.

Win a $250.00 Sam's Club Gift Card
through our

Super Bowl Party Contest

So we're down here in Tampa to take part in a few of the Super Bowl festivities, it's cool because Eli was drafted by the Bucs so the city holds lots memories for us. It's always great to see old friends too. In recognition of this great time for football enthusiasts, Sam's Club stores are helping fans get prepped for the game by offering menu ideas and great decor tips. They have provided us with one $250.00 gift card to give away and we'd like to offer it to someone who has supported Tackle Myeloma Foundation over the years. But there's a catch! To be eligible to win this $250 gift card you have to do a little work.

Go to the Sam's Club website and select 10 items you'd need to create the ultimate Super Bowl and write a brief description (a paragraph or so) on how you'd decorate. Simple right?!

Click on the link below to check out the Sam's Club Super Bowl

http://www.samsclubmemberservices.com/Big-Game/Big-Game-Party-FootballPartyTips.aspx

Post your anwers here in my blog, in the comments section.

The deadline is

Thursday, February 5, 2009.

Make sure you provide your e-mail address, if you win, that's how you'll be contacted.

New Year, New Look, Same Passion

CHANGE IS GOOD! I know, I know it's different compared to that helmet, but you have to admit, it is nice to look at. By the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have been slammed and unable to post, but boy oh boy do we have a lot of great stuff going on. Our 3rd Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament is coming up on March 1st!!! We are so excited because the money raised from this event has helped so many dealing with cancer. Information about the pro athletes who will be attending this year will be coming soon!

Tackle Myeloma Foundation

3rd Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament

Where: N9ne Steakhouse

When: Sunday, March 1, 2009

Dinner served 5pm-6pm

Tournament Begins at 6:15

Registration : $200.oo

Click on the link below to register! Space is limited.

http://tmfpokertournament.eventbrite.com/

Wildcats - 26
Trojans - 24

WILDCATS WIN THRILLER
and FINISH ON TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHEW! The season kicked off with everyone having one goal in mind and that was to FINISH. FINISH on top like they had last year and so many years before. It was printed on t-shirts and drilled into everyone's mind from practice one. Merely getting to the championship game was not enough. Last night we all added an -ED to our team motto as we FINISHED in our rightful place- LEAGUE CHAMPS!

We woke up this morning still on cloud nine after last nights amazing victory over the Trojans. Although it was a victorious game for us, it was way too close for comfort. But it's now official, Coach Eli has blown his whistle for the last time and he can retire knowing his Lil Wildcats are champions AGAIN! I honestly thought he was going to cry last night, but I'm glad he didn't since we had enough tears on the field between our players, the Trojans players and the parents. We spent the night celebrating at Coach Chad's house as team and looking forward to our last awards banquet.

I really don't have too much else to say. I can't wait to see the pictures, I can't wait to see the videos, last night was something NONE of us will ever forget. My husband loves those boys so much. He knows he pushed them hard every year, but all he ever hoped for is for them to remember him and the lessons they've learned through him as they continue to mature in to young men. It was because of them that he refused to let a little thing called chemo keep him down, not even life threatening cancer could keep him off the field.

It's going to be fun watching these boys grow up. We will keep up with them because they will forever be a part of the Alexander family. Thank you Wildcat parents, it has been a fun ride!

Kimberly

Coach Eli's Little Wildcats are headed to the championship game...AGAIN!

Long time no post, I know, I should update more, but it has been CRAZY! Ever since the phenomenal golf tournament we have still been going non-stop. There are so many great things in the works for TMF! I can't begin to adequately thank all of our supporters, old and new who believe in what we're doing. Our financial assistance program for families who have children fighting cancer has been a big hit, especially in light of this unstable economy. We have been working on figuring out ways to do more for more people so stay tuned because more news on that front is coming soon.

When Eli isn't working on TMF related projects he has been busy coaching his football team. It's a big deal this year because this is the last year that the boys, who he's been coaching since they were 5, will play together. Next year the majority will play through their middle school.
Well Coach has ONE MORE GAME and then he will officially hang up his whistle. We won tonight 34-6 over a great Giants team, and next week we play the Trojans. Yes, the Trojans who still have a very special place in my heart that dates back to fall 2005, when Eli was newly diagnosed with myeloma and weakened from aggressive chemo treatments. We beat them in overtime that year, but what took place after the game still makes me cry. Coach looked like hell and could barely get around, but he mustered up enough strength to make his way on to the field and inspire his boys to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. And despite the loss, after the crowd cleared, the Trojans invited our family over to their sideline and prayed for our family. They also presented Eli with a shirt autographed by the team (who were about 8 or 9 at the time) and a USC shirt, like their coaches wear. It was so touching and I will never forget that moment, the shirts are neatly folded on coaches shelf. This year, those very same Trojans are the only team that beat us so saturday's game should be quite a treat.

Health wise, Elijah is doing well. Now that the weather has gotten a little cooler, he won't ride his bike in the morning, but he'll still lift weights and continue to eat healthy. I'll be back next week to let you know if his team pulls off a big victory to claim their title of back-to-back CHAMPS. For those of you not in Texas I know you couldn't possible comprehend how big of a deal this is for us, but trust me it is. These young men mean the world to coach so to have just three practices and one game left before his retirement, we all may be a little misty eyed come Saturday.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Love,
Kimberly

In Memory of...

The Tackle Myeloma family recently lost two very special people. Kenneth Talley and his company, Porter Lighting, was a TMF supporter from day one. His grandson is on Big Eli's Wildcat football team and he would never fail to mention how much it meant to him to see grandson happy. In April of 2008 we were informed that Mr. Talley had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. The irony of that just blew us away. Here was a man who gave to our cause because of Elijah's diagnosis with myeloma, only to find himself diagnosed with the same disease a couple of years later. Mr. Talley will be missed.

We also recently lost Dillion Wolford. As many of you may remember Dillion was the young cancer patient that was a huge Dalllas Stars fan. His parents wanted to do something special for him so Elijah and Trevor Daley (one of Dillion's favorite Stars players) visited him at hospital. We were later told by one of Dillion's doctors that that day was one of the first times he didn't feel any pain. Elijah ran in to Dillon during a hospital visit not too long after this picture was taken. He kept talking about how strong Dillion must be and how impressed he was with his desire to keep fighting.

Please keep the Wolford family and the Talley family in your prayers.