Hi everyone! This will be my fourth year fundraising for Chai Lifeline through the Miami marathon and my third year running the race. In case you’re wondering about the discrepancy, last year, just as I began my seasonal training for the 2024 race, I was diagnosed with cancer myself. Unfortunately, due to the four surgeries that ensued, I was unable to compete.
Many of you will remember my campaigns from previous years, as well as those of my siblings Shira, Yirmi & Dan Rubinoff. We all raised money and ran in memory of our dear mother Penina a”h, who passed away at the too young age of forty after battling breast cancer for over five challenging years. My brother Yirmi started a division of Chai called Penina’s Helping Hand to assist children whose parents are either critically ill or who have sadly been orphaned due to illness. We all understood all too well what that felt like as children and have worked hard over the years to help support other kids enduring something similar.
This year, that message rang even closer to home as my own ten year old son grappled with my illness. I was out of commission for much of the year and life was difficult for him to say the least. Thank G-d I am now in full remission and am feeling better than ever, and it is my personal mission to not only complete the race at my personal best time but more importantly, to raise as much funding as I can to help families dealing with this horrible illness. The children are the ones who suffer in silence and they can use all of our love and support. Please join me in doing all you can to help make their lives just a bit easier and sweeter. Your gift will be completely tax deductible and it will feel great knowing you put a smile on a sad child’s face. From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of all the families dealing with critical illness and/or loss, I thank you. May you never know what I have now experienced from both sides - child of ill parent who was ultimately orphaned, and most recently sick parent of young child who was scared and sad as he watched his mother endure pain and uncertainty. G-d bless!