Twice In One Day?

That's right - I'm posting twice on the same day. I used to do this, but I found it to be impossible to devote that much time to this blog, especially during hockey season. However, today's second entry is a much more important piece than just some hockey news story. It follows along the line of the charitable organization articles I have been writing, and it actually deals with a fan's fight against a terrible disease. This second article is being written due to the efforts of Nicole DeByl, and her fight to raise money to help the Katie Thomas Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Treatment Fund.

I was checking the old inbox for Hockey Blog In Caanda and found Miss DeByl's email sitting at the top of the pile. It reads as follows:

"Hey there,
Just wanted to let you know that I am working with the Katie Thomas Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Treatment Fund, a charity benefiting a Denver mother who is fighting this terrible disease. Anyway, though you might be interested in posting a link to an auction site that has a bunch of rare, autographed hockey gear from the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Patrick Roy and Evgeni Malkin. All proceeds benefit Katie's treatment."

Now, this isn't a recognized charity by the NHL or the NHLPA, so I did some digging by following the links that Miss DeByl provided.

"Katie" is a young lady named Katura Thomas, or Katie for short, who lives in Denver, Colorado with her nine year-old daughter. She graduated from Kent Denver High School in 1992. From there, she went on to Columbia University in New York where she earned degrees in Organic Chemistry and Dramatic Theater. She then decided to pursue her doctorate in Molecular Biology with an emphasis in Genetics. She graduated with her Ph.D in Molecular Biology from New York University, and obtained Summa Cum Laude honours. She regularly volunteers her time at animal shelters, women's centers, and other non-profit organizations in the Denver area while caring for her daughter and managing a restaurant.

Clearly, Katie is one busy lady, and has lived a lifetime in her short time thus far. However, she's not done. She is an avid fan of the Colorado Avalanche, and loves theater, live music, and thrift shops as well. And now she faces a huge battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL).

Being that NHL is the disease that is currently affecting Katie, the Katie Thomas Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Treatment Fund has started an auction that runs until August 7, 2008 that has some really cool National Hockey League memorabilia - a Wayne Gretzky Oilers jersey, an autographed Miracle On Ice poster, a Ray Bourque Avalanche jersey, and much, much more.

The 33 year-old "genetics wiz" is undergoing a clinical trial to treat the disease due to traditional methods failing. The problem is that this clinical trial costs hundreds of thousands of dollars that rarely anyone has to treat this disease. This is a fabulous way to raise funds, and the buyer - meaning you - gets a great piece of hockey history.

If you'd like to help, please bid on one of the items on EBay. The complete auction listing can be found here. You can also donate directly to the Katie Thomas Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Treatment Fund via the PayPal link found on this page. You may also send your donation via snail mail to:

Help Katie Fight!
8335 E. Fairmount Drive
Unit 11-202
Denver, CO 80247

If you have an item that you wish to donate to one of the auctions, please take it to your nearest iSold It store, and have them put it up on EBay for you. Just be sure to designate the item is to be sold for the Katie Thomas Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Treatment Fund, and they'll take care of everything else for you, right down to the shipping.

If you'd like to know more about Katie Thomas, please check out her website here. This is the woman that you're helping, and I cannot thank you enough for doing whatever you can in helping this hockey fan win the battle of her life.

Thanks for the heads-up, Nicole, and thanks for the info on Katie's fight. Keep up the good work, and Katie will have this battle won in no time!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!