The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Letter to the editor Hi, my name is Shannon Smadella Ð daughter of Cindy (Shpiruk) & Lawrence Smadella of Cranberry Portage, Manitoba. I am writing this letter to inform you of a personal challenge I have undertaken. It's a challenge of both physical endurance, and a challenge to make a difference in our community. I am currently living in Saskatoon and have been working as the District Manager for Vector Marketing for the past few years. Recently, I've joined The Arthritis Society's "Joints in Motion" team in Saskatoon, SK. As a member of the team, I am committed to raising $6,000 for the Arthritis Society by running my first marathon in Dublin, Ireland, on October 25th, 2004. This endeavor will require me to follow a rigorous five month training program leading up to the marathon in October. I am running the marathon in honour of my great grandmother (Baba) Anne Petryk, who was a long time resident of Cranberry Portage, MB. Anne suffered from Arthritis and is unfortunately no longer with us today. I will also be running in honour of my grandmother Pauline Shpiruk who currently suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. Along with the daily struggles arthritis brings, my grandmother can no longer do many of the activities she has enjoyed throughout life; planting in the garden, painting rocks at the cabin, and fishing. She has been a resident of Cranberry Portage for over 60 years. This program has given me the opportunity to discover how painful arthritis can be and hopefully make a difference. My grandmother's experiences have taught me much about how devastating arthritis is, and what a grim prospect it would be to live life with arthritis. One in seven people currently have arthritis, and it is projected to increase to one in five by 2020. Arthritis is predicted to be the epidemic of the future. There is currently no cure, nor an understanding of the cause of arthritis. My motivation for training and running the marathon are clear, but I will require help with fundraising. As the marathon will be run in October, the time I have for fundraising isn't extensive. I realize many people operate within tight budgets, but any amount you could spare would be deeply appreciated. As my fundraising motto suggests, "Every little bit counts". Any cheques can be made payable to The Arthritis Society, and your completed pledge forms can be returned to me in Saskatoon. Donations can also be made directly on-line on my web page at: www.arthritis.ca/joints/saskatchewan/ShannonSmadella. I hope to reach my financial goal by July, so feel free to pass this request for sponsorship along to any friends or family members you think would be interested. Thank you so much for helping The Arthritis Society in their efforts to end this illness, and for supporting me in my biggest challenge to date! Sincerely, Shannon Smadella4/19/2004
