Bring on the Hancock!

My First Tower Race

94 flights, 1,632 steps, 4,000 competitors and 1500 feet high above the ground is where I intend to be 30 mins or so after this race! I have been greatly looking forward to coming to the Windy City and tackling my first ever Tower Race in preparation for The Great Wall of China Marathon and it’s 5,164 steps along the way.

I think this will be an excellent barometer for where my current level of fitness stands and I am eager to run up this building that has a view spanning 4 states – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The Observatory elevators of the John Hancock center travel 94 floors at a top speed of 1800 ft/min (20.5 mph). My hope is to race up these stairs and enjoy a nice cold beverage on the way down…in the elevator!

I look forward to this challenge today and cannot wait to show photos, video highlights and write a story on this wonderful opportunity and experience to run on behalf of my Papa along with all patients and families fighting against PPA…

In the battle of Run4Papa v. Hancock Building, my early predication is MAN shall conquer on this day…

2012 Northwestern CNADC Fundraiser

A Night of Awareness in the Windy City

Myself with Dr. Marsel Mesulam, Director of Northwestern CNADC and man who first identified PPA.

Leaving 70 degree weather behind in Charlotte, North Carolina and heading up north to the Windy City of 25 degrees, blistering winds and snow may not sound ideal on paper; however, when such a tremendous group of people come together for a great cause like this one, it’s a no brainer!

The goal? To get a bunch of local Chicago-ans and friends together in one room to support THE CAUSE by raising awareness and funds for the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center (CNADC), the #1 research facility in the world for PPA research. Thanks to Kevin Connolly and his wonderful team at CNADC, we brought in over 100+ guests for this event. Friends came in the cold to support this journey and our host, Rock Bottom Brewery, did a fantastic job of keeping people’s glasses and bellies full the entire evening.

Not only did this fundraiser bring a hefty amount of money, but we had a multitude of activities taking place throughout including a PPA video (made in my hometown of Charlotte), a silent auction and a raffle featuring prizes local Chicago-ans took full advantage of.

We had the distinct honor of meeting Dr. Marsel Mesulam, the doctor who first identified PPA and Director of the CNADC medical department along with his wife Dr. Sandra Weintraub, a renowned doctor with a PhD in NeuroPsychology . We had the pleasure of meeting patients who had been diagnosed with PPA who were proud of the work being down with this campaign along with their inspirational family members fighting everyday for more awareness and treatment for THE CAUSE.  We had friends and family that lived in Chicago show-up as well as people whom have been following this cause from Day 1. I was thrilled to finally meet them in person! On top of that, there were several people who ran The Great Wall of China Half and Full Marathon in attendance. You better believe I was picking their brains for stories, advice and feedback about the run ahead!

Through the diligent work of the CNADC team, 6 amazing packages were assembled for the silent auction. Moreover, a raffle was held at the end of the evening giving away prizes from local Chicago vendors and sponsors.

Lori Gapinski, one of many people attending the event remarked, “Had a wonderful time tonight at the fundraiser. Such good people and all our best to Jason. Thank you for all that you are doing! Good Luck on Sunday and May 19th! We all will be thinking of you as you are doing such a wonderful thing for the people that are suffering with PPA and the loved ones surrounding them.”

You never know how an event is going to come together when you start from scratch, but I think it is fair to say, we were blown away by the turnout and support last night. Without a doubt, the CNADC fundraiser delivered BIG-TIME!

With the fundraiser being a massive success across the board, we can now focus on the race ahead – Hustling up the Hancock building against 4,000 other competitors.

94 Flights. 1,632 steps await. Wouldn’t have it any other way!

To see more photos, go to: Hustle up the Hancock

To watch the speeches, go to: CNADC and Run4Papa Speeches

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Today is the BIG Day for the CNADC Fundraiser!

Today is the day, 94 Flights Await

Look who made the COVER STORY of Northwestern Medical Department’s homepage! Running the Great Wall of China for the CNADC

There is one week left before the fundraiser! Please show your support for Jason Boschan and Kevin Connolly hustling up the Hancock by registering today!

Feb 24th: : CNADC Fundraiser at Rock Bottom Brewery, 6-9 PM

Location: 1 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 60654

Includes beer, wine and appetizers for $40 along with a silent auction and a raffle for a chance to win great prizes!!!

Feb 26th: Hustle Up The Hancock!

Race up 94 flights of stairs!!! Representing the CNADC are Kevin Connolly and Jason Boschan running to raise awareness and funds for all patients and families fighting everyday against PPA!

For questions, please contact Kevin Connolly at 312-503-2832 or [email protected]

Inspirational Quotes

Day 225 out of 315: Exactly 3 months to go! I thought I would add a new segment to this journey – a daily inspiring quote leading up to race day so here we go…

Day 1: “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
–Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister

Day 2: “”Every man dies. Not every man really lives.”
–William Wallace, leader of the Scottish revolution

Day 3: “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”
–Douglas Adams, writer

Day 4: “If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”
–E.B. White, writer

Day 5: “If not for my mother’s love, passion and desire to make us all better people, I wouldn’t be the man I am today. I was taught how to care for others and take ownership of my actions. I love you dearly, not just today, but the other 364 days of the year. Happy Mother’s Day!”
-Jason F. Boschan, son to the best mom in the world

Day 6: “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.
–Richard Bach, writer

Day 7: “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.
–John Maxwell

Day 8: “Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.”
–David Thomas

Day 9: “Defeat is not defeat unless accepted as a reality-in your own mind..”
–Bruce Lee, martial artist

Day 10: “Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
–Joshua J. Marine

Day 11: “You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”
–Shira Tehrani

Day 12: “You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
–Anonymous

Day 13: “As strong as my legs are, it is my mind that has made me a champion.”
–Michael Johnson, 4-time Olympic gold medalist

Day 14: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
–Harold Whitman

Day 15: “For me, it’s that I contributed…That I’m on this planet doing some good and making people happy. That’s to me, the most important thing.”
–Ellen DeGeneres, comedian

Day 16: “People will hate you, rate you, shake you, and break you. But how strong you stand is what makes you.”
-Unknown

Day 17:
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”
-Howard Thurman, civil rights leader

Day 18: ”Do or Do Not. There is no Try”
-Yoda, Jedi Master

Day 19: ”It’s impossible” said pride. “It’s risky” said experience. “It’s pointless” said reason. “Give it a try” whispered the heart.
-Anonymous

Day 20: “At first dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable.”
-Christopher Reeve, actor

Day 21: “Insomnia is my greatest inspiration.”
-Jon Stewart, comedian

Day 22: “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.”
-Bill Copeland, cricket umpire

Day 23: ““It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude.”
-Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker

Day 24: “Things don’t go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”
-Charles “tremendous” Jones, motivational speaker

Day 25: “The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.”
-Ann Landers, advice columnist

Day 26: “Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.
-Jawaharlal Nehru, 1sr Prime Minister of India

Day 27: “If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
-Dale Carnegie, salesman

Day 28: “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”
-Jim Rohn, entrepreneur/motivational speaker

Day 29: “Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”
-Lao-Tze, founder of Taoism

Day 30: “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
-Unknown

Day 31: “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.”
-W. Clement Stone, philanthropist

Day 32: “I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”
-Jimi Hendrix

Day 33: “The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race; it’s to test the limits of the human heart.”
-Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike

Day 34: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
-Anne Frank

Day 35: “I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
-Marilyn Monroe, actress

Day 36: “You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
-Christopher Columbus, explorer

Day 37: “It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something. May I suggest that it be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of personkind, bringing hope to the lost and love to the lonely.”
Leo Buscaglia, motivational speaker

Day 38: “Fifty years from now it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much you had in your bank account or what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better place because you were important in the life of a child.”
-Unknown

Day 39: “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
-Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa

Day 40: “If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can’t buy.”
-Anonymous

Day 41: “Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don’t do that by sitting around and wondering about yourself.”
-Katharine Hepburn, actor

Day 42: “Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like muscles of the body.”
-Lynn Jennings, long-distance runner

Day 43: “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident. and more and more successful.”
-Mark Victor Hansen, creator of Time Magazine

Day 44: “The NBA is never just a business. It’s always business. It’s always personal. All good businesses are personal. The best businesses are very personal.”
-Mark Cuban, owner Dallas Mavericks

Day 45: “Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of someone else.”
-Judy Garland, actress

Day 46: “The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to neither make money nor find much fun in life.”
-Charles M. Schwab, financial mogul

Day 47: “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.”
-Jerry Seinfeld, comedian

Day 48: “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
-Confucius, philosopher

Day 49: ”The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”
-Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden

Day 50: “Too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I’ve always believed that if you took one tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you’d be surprised by how well things can work out.”
-Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Day 51: ”Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
-William Shakespeare, poet and playwright

Day 52: “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
-Pablo Picasso, artist

Day 53: “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
-Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister

Day 54: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
Charles Darwin, father of evolution

Day 55: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.”
-Henry Ford, founder of Ford motor company

Day 56: “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
-Helen Keller, author

Day 57: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
-John Lennon, musician

Day 58: “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”
-Maya Angelou, author and poet

Day 59: “I found every single successful person I’ve ever spoken to had a turning point. The turning point was when they made a clear, specific unequivocal decision that they were not going to live like this anymore; they were going to achieve success. Some people make that decision at 15 and some people make it at 50,and most people never make it all.”
-Brian Tracy, motivational speaker

Day 60: “Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, poet

Day 61: “People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.”
-Dalai Lama

Day 62: “I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we’re all cowards.”
-Alberto Salazar, three-time winner of the NYC marathon

Day 63: “I believe in taking a positive attitude toward the world. My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better than when I got here.”
-Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets

Day 64: “Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

Day 65: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
-Mark Twain, author

Day 66: “The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want.”
-Ben Stein, speechwriter

Day 67: “It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute… that gives meaning to our lives.”
-Tony Robbins, motivational speaker

Day 68: “If you live just for today, to make today the most successful, happy day of your life, I am sure that you will have an extraordinary life. A successful life is nothing more than a series of successful days.”
-Unknown

Day 69: “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.”
-Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host / Philanthropist

Day 70: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
-Dr. Seuss, Cartoonist

Day 71: “And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
-Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States

Day 72: “Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”
-Groucho Marx, comedian

Day 73: “”The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”
-Robert Frost, poet

Day 74: “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity..”
-George Patton, General WWII

Day 75: “Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.”
-Unknown

Day 76: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady

Day 77: “Somehow I can’t believe there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C’s. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably.”
-Walt Disney, founder of Disney

Day 78: “Many of life’s failures are experienced by people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
-Thomas Edison, inventor

Day 79: “Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something perhaps when you aer least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.”
-Charles F. Kettering, head of research at GM

Day 80: “People who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
-Apple Computers

Day 81: “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
-Albert Einstein, winner of Nobel Peace Prize in physics

Day 82: “I’m going to work so that it’s a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it.”
-Steve Prefontaine, middle and long-distance runner

Day 83: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
-Aristotle, Greek philosopher

Day 84: “There’s no such things as coulda, shoulda, or woulda. If you shoulda and coulda, you woulda done it.”
-Pat Riley, Los Angeles Lakers head coach

Day 85: “Anybody can be a runner. We were meant to move. We were meant to run. It’s the easiest sport.”
-Bill Rodgers, 4-time winner of the NYC and Boston Marathon

Day 86: No one ever drowned in sweat.”
-Anonymous

‎Day 87: “The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move.”
-John Wooden, UCLA men’s college basketball coach

Day 88: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
– Muhammad Ali, world heavyweight boxing champion

Day 89: “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
-Jesse Owens, U.S. olympian

Day 90: “The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
-John Bingham, running speaker and writer

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Raymour & Flaningan Furniture

www.raymourflanigan.com

At Raymour & Flanigan, we believe in taking care of people and communities where we serve, work and live.

In fact, it’s fundamental to our business. Given our reach across hundreds of communities in the Northeast, we embrace the opportunity to serve as corporate leaders in our region. As a family-owned company that is the largest furniture retailer in the Northeast and the 7th largest in the U.S., we lend considerable support through our stores, marketing and associates to raise awareness and generate revenue for our charitable partners.

Our community efforts are focused on helping organizations that provide research, prevention and treatment of diseases. We have remained a family-owned business since 1947. So it’s especially important to involve our work family in our efforts to serve the community. Our associates and their family members often volunteer for these causes.

One week & counting for the Northwestern CNADC Fundraiser

One Week Away, 94 Flights Await!

Look who made the COVER STORY of Northwestern Medical Department’s homepage! Running the Great Wall of China for the CNADC

There is one week left before the fundraiser! Please show your support for Jason Boschan and Kevin Connolly hustling up the Hancock by registering today!

Feb 24th: CNADC Fundraiser at Rock Bottom Brewery, 6-9 PM

Location:  1 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 60654

Includes beer, wine and appetizers for $40 along with a silent auction and a raffle for a chance to win great prizes!!!

  Feb 26th: Hustle Up The Hancock!

Race up 94 flights of stairs!!! Representing the CNADC are Kevin Connolly and Jason Boschan running to raise awareness and funds for all patients and families fighting everyday against PPA!

For questions, please contact Kevin Connolly at 312-503-2832 or [email protected]

Northwestern CNADC Fundrasier in Windy City

You are invited to the first ever

CNADC Community Fundraiser

with special guest Jason Boschan

 Jason Boschan and Kevin Connolly are running up the 94 floors of the Hancock building to raise funds for dementia research at the Northwestern University Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Please come and show your support by joining them at this fundraiser.

Jason is running the Great Wall of China Marathon in May 2012 to honor his grandfather and others battling this disease.He will be in Chicago the weekend of February 24-26 to run Hustle Up the Hancock as part of his training.

 Event Details

Date: February 24th, 2012

Place: Rock Bottom Brewery

Location: 1 West Grand Ave, Chicago, IL, 60654

Time: 6:00-9:00 PM

Tickets: $40 includes beer, wine and appetizers.

There will be a silent auction and a raffle with a chance to win great prizes.

For questions, please contact Kevin Connolly at 312-503-2832 or [email protected]