Perhaps it is inappropriate to use this media avenue as a means to ask for help.

But when it comes to fighting cancer, I believe there is no shame, and there is no such thing as inappropriate.

In the past month, I have learned that a co-worker, and a former co-worker were both diagnosed with the disease. I met yet another co-worker who recently completed her treatments for breast cancer. She is now a survivor. Oh, but wait. My best friend's girlfriend's father has been battling leukemia, and just last week it took a turn for the worse. There is nothing more that can be done for him, and his life has been more or less reduced to a countdown. That's a lot of cancer to ponder within the space of one month.

And let's see...my wife had cervical cancer last year which was fortunately caught and removed very early; her cousin had a form of bone cancer that threatened a leg; I lost an uncle to the disease just before Christmas; oh...and losing both of my parents to cancer 10 and 11 years ago is still just as fresh and dark in my mind as the days they passed away exactly one year apart.

From cancer there is sometimes hope. More and more, with advances in medicine, people are fighting and winning. Childhood survival rates are up, and we now have a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. This is the good news. Still, 1,500 Americans lose their lives to cancer each day. That is the equivalent of the 9/11 death toll every two days, yet cancer funding for the National Cancer Institute has been cut. Inadequate health care coverage and financial burden should not dictate who lives, who dies, and who suffers unnecessarily from the effects of cancer.

This is why I am asking for your help, dear readers, in my efforts to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I know there are many, many terrific charitable organizations supporting many worthwhile causes. The LAF is not the largest, the most powerful, or the most well-known cancer fighting organization. But its purpose reflects the determination, the drive, and the focus of its founder, 7 time Tour de France Champion and cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong. On October 14th, I will participate in the LAF's 'LiveStrong Challenge' in Austin, TX by pedaling my bike with all my might in memory of my parents, and in honor of those who are battling the "Big C".

My idea is simple. The way I see it, there are historically anywhere between 200 and 1,200 people who read my blog entries. If everyone who reads this entry contributed just $1.00 ....man, what a difference it would make. Ask yourself if you have been affected by cancer. If you have not personally battled the disease, odds are terrific that you know at least one person who has. Think of the enormous scope of cancer, and if you choose, please help me in my efforts by selecting the following link: http://austin07.livestrong.org/brianphillips

To learn more about the information, support, and advocacy the LAF provides, please visit www.livestrong.org.

Lastly, I believe that the LAF's manifesto provides some powerful insight into the mission of the organization. Thanks for reading, and thanks for donating if that is your choice.

We believe in life.
Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
We believe in energy: channeled and fierce.
We believe in focus: getting smart and living strong.
Unity is strength. Knowledge is power. Attitude is everything.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

We kick in the moment you're diagnosed.
We help you accept the tears. Acknowledge the rage.
We believe in your right to live without pain.
We believe in information. Not pity.
And in straight, open talk about cancer.
With husbands, wives and partners. With kids, friends and neighbors. And the people you live with, work with, cry and laugh with.
This is no time to pull punches.
You're in the fight of your life.

We're about the hard stuff.
Like finding the nerve to ask for a second opinion.
And a third, or a fourth, if that's what it takes.
We're about getting smart about clinical trials.
And if it comes to it, being in control of how your life ends.
It's your life. You will have it your way.

We're about the practical stuff.
Planning for surviving. Banking your sperm. Preserving your fertility. Organizing your finances. Dealing with hospitals, specialists, insurance companies and employers.
It's knowing your rights.
It's your life.
Take no prisoners.

We're about the fight.
We're your champion on Capitol Hill. Your advocate with the healthcare system. Your sponsor in the research labs.
And we know the fight never ends.
Cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life.
This is the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Founded and inspired by one of the toughest cancer survivors on the planet.

LIVE STRONG™