experience the warmth

I was in the middle of a very strange dream, when Anne woke me up this morning. I was at the Concert for the Masses, but the Rose Bowl looked just like the Hollywood Bowl, and the backstage area was like Cal State LA. I was being chased by some guy who was a cross between Henry Rollins, Juggernaut, and The Thing.
Needless to say, even though today was a sleep in day for me, I was happy to be pulled away from that little bit of subconscious weirdness!
It was about 6.15 when she shook me awake.
“Wil! I just checked our donation page, and we’re over 2,000 dollars!”
“That’s great, honey,” I said, and rolled over.
“Wil! It hasn’t even been 24 hours! Kris is going to be so excited!!”
“That’s awesome!” I said, and pulled the covers over my head.
Around 7, she was back.
Shake, shake, shake. “Wil! Wil!”
“Muhfrght?”
“I just looked again, and it’s over 2500!” She had the excitement that I’ve seen in Ryan and Nolan on Christmas morning.
I don’t really know the best way to put it into words, but Anne is shaken to her very soul by Kris being sick. It’s more than the very real possibility of us losing a dear and loved friend . . . it’s a glimpse of our own mortality, and a very tangible reminder of how fragile our lives really are.
This walk is more than just raising money for research and care. It’s giving us a small way to help out our friend in her hour of need, it’s a way for all of you who read my lame website to be part of something that’s bigger than all of us. I know that this is also giving Kris something tangible to hold on to — it’s amazing moral support, you guys.
For international and privacy-concerned readers, I will set up a PayPal page where you can donate whatever you want. Your donations will go to me, and I’ll turn them right over to the Team in Training people. I wish there was some way to make me not be the middle man (I think that’s asking you all to put a little bit too much trust and faith in someone you don’t even know) but I don’t think there is. Maybe the TNT people will see how many folks are interested in using PayPal, and they’ll make PayPal an option for donations.
I just looked at our Team in Training Homepage, and right now we’re just over four thousand dollars!!!!
We kicked major ass in 2002, and I’m sure we’re going to blow that away in 2004.

63 thoughts on “experience the warmth”

  2. I hope (and I’m sure) the goal will be reached again… and I will definitely try to throw something in. 🙂
    All my love and healing mojo to Kris!
    Bless,
    Patty 🙂

  3. I’ve emailed all of my friends about it, Wil. I am sure that they will be tossing some money in as well. I have to admit, I am really excited for this. It is REALLY nice to see the donation count climbing. Thanks for doing this! I hope Kris has a speedy recovery. She sure has some nice, supportive friends. It’s exactly what will get her through!

  4. My best to you and your cause and to the maintained wellness of your friend.
    On a semi-related note, today is Henry Rollins’ birthday, so your dream is even more odd now.

  5. I donated my shekels this morning, figuring, what the heck, might as well pitch in today instead of going to MacDonalds for lunch.
    Now I look and the Wheaton steamroller is up to 4,531 smackers already!
    Way to go, WWDN readers!

  7. With my donation of $5… total is now $4,606. 🙂
    Every little bit helps, after all. Good luck, at this rate you’ll surpass your goal in less than a month!

  8. sweetheart,
    i would trust you with my life, for though we do not know eachother on a personal level, you are my hero…….and i hope and pray that it would never come to this but you could trust me with yours….
    lots and lots of love and mojo!
    Andrea xx

  9. Anne & Wil:
    I will definitely be contributing to the fund. In 2002 my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and kidney cancer within eight months of each other. She also had to endure four months of agressive chemo between the two surgeries. I know that it’s difficult to know what to do, but trust me – just being there to laugh, cry and hug on is enough for the person who’s going through it. Good on ya for doing this. You two are shining stars.

  11. A week ago, Howard Dean asked his supporters to raise $700,000.00 by last Sunday to pay for the costs of campaigning in Wisconson. We raised it in *24 hours* and in the week since then, doubled it. The power of the Internet is incredible when harnessed for good.
    I gave to sponsor Wil and Anne, and I encourage everyone to do so, to the best of their ability. Tell your friends and family. Let’s get them that $25,000.00 in the next few days, and then see if we can better it. Let’s show them what we can do, when we care.

  12. I am compelled by my sophomoricness to point out that the acronym for Team In Training isn’t TNT.
    Regardless, it is a worthy cause I am happy to support.

  13. Yo, over $5000 now. Sweet.
    This cause is very close to my heart, as well. My mom beat Lymphoma, something that might not have happened 25 years ago. Research is key, folks…and you never know when this might touch you or someone you love.

  14. I went to your TNT page, and it had just loaded as my boss walked in, so I shut the page down. When he left ten minutes later, I refreshed, and the tally was 250 dollars higher. You guys rock.

  15. Dear Wil, i love this site, how could my life have gone on so long blissfully unaware!I am a serious Stand by me fan, in fact my friend and i spend hours laughing and quoting bits- usually your lines or Kiefer’s! i love being able to have an insight into what you’re really like and i’m not in the least dissapointed. i think its great that your raising money to help your friend; i would help if i wasn’t only 16 and had no idea how! though I’ll send my love and prayers. keep up the good work, you are truly the coolest! Jenn

  16. dude this was so well written. you are an incredible writer. i wish i had your talent…oh…its not one of those posts…ummmm….ok…we’re behind ya wil!

  17. What fantastic news that you’re both raising so much, so quickly, and for such a good cause. Cancer is something that will touch EVERYONE at some point, either personally or a loved one, and so it us up to all of us to help do something about it.
    It’s awesome that you’re making the most of your reach through the net and your friends and fans to help out! Am going over right now to donate what I can, and then I’m going into work to get my colleagues to do the same. Being Paramedics, we’ve all seen enough of what this disease can do.
    Lis in Aus.

  18. I posted a message on the TNT page and then tried to donate, but Canada doesn’t work so please do set up PayPal, I would like very much to support your walk.

  19. Wil,
    Your website it not lame. What you’ve proved is that you are a genuine, caring, loving person…other people respond to those characteristics…that is why so many people are choosing to support you in what you do. To put it simply, we care, because you care. My prayers are for Kris. Peace.
    =^)

  20. Thought I would throw in what I could to the kitty. Times are tough all around. So nice to see you two helping others in need. Thank you.

  21. Hey Wil..long-time fan here…Just wanted to let you know that I really admire what you are doing with the fund-raising, I sadly don’t have enough money to contribute, but I am spreading the word around. My mother has Multiple Sclerosis, and they have a pretty wide email support group, and I have told them all about it. Good luck.
    Love, Joshua

  22. hey wil, i am so glad to hear that you are doing so well! it is sooo great!
    good luck with the rest of it! i’ll be chipping in! you are both really incredible people.
    “I think that’s asking you all to put a little bit too much trust and faith in someone you don’t even know” We may not know you on a personal level, but i think that all the readers of WWDN would like to think that we are friends on some deeper level. You let us into so much of your life, it is almost as if we do know you. (not to freak you out or anything!)
    anyway, i’m going…
    take care wil, and good luck with the fundraising and the walk!
    rach

  23. Hey, Wil — keep the link up another week or two; the spouse gets paid next week and I’m going to hit him up for a 20 spot. My mom’s in remission from lymphoma (she has to go once a month for blood tests though), so I’m definitely behind you and Anne.
    Will put Kris on my personal prayer list…if God doesn’t look down and say, “Who the hell are YOU???”
    (((Kris)))

  24. Put some $$ in for you. Good luck to you and Anne, and Kris will be in my thoughts. My mother just won a battle with breast cancer, and I’ll ask her to spread some of her strength around!

  25. Wow. I think it’s gonna hit $7,000 tonight, easy.
    Happy Valentine’s Day, Wil, Anne, and Kris.
    Let’s get these fine folks their $25,000, shall we?
    Every day I take $5 from my wallet and put it in my college fund piggy bank- times are tight, and money is hard. I wish I had more, but today’s $5 went to the cause.
    Keep up the great work!

  27. Over $7,000 as I reply to this.
    Give my thoughts and prayers to Kris and her family, if she doesn’t mind it coming from another unknown face. 🙂 All the best for her and a quick recovery!!
    Once I get my check, you will definitely be getting some of it!! And since I trust you, it will be done through paypal.

  29. Kris went in for major treatments today, and Anne gets to go see her on Monday. We’re going to print out all your comments and kind wishes, and take them to her then.
    Thank you, everyone. We’re over 7000 in less than 24 hours! I can’t tell you how much your support means to all of us.

  30. I blogged about your fund raising efforts. I think it is a worthy cause and a great use of your blog to promote it. I hope you stop by and take a look at what I had to say. I’m trying to help out in my own small way. I think if we all pull together we can make a difference.
    Your mobilized readers ought to have shirts made up that say: “Force of Wil”

  31. Wow. Did you actually go to that concert? I had the opportunity to go to the one in Hella, but at that point (I was 10) my parents had severely played out DM, so I ended up staying home with a babysitter who turned out to be a Jehovas Witness. She told me all about how the world was going to end, and if you didn’t serve God (by being Jehovas Witness and reading the bible, ect), then he would not “save” you. Yes, I was scared shitless, and yes, I cried.
    You better fucking believe I went to every DM concert after that, as repentance! Well… all except Exciter… cuz… well, yeah. Not my cup o tea.

  32. I was watching ST:TNG today on Spike and I thought of you and how neat it is that you have this blog. It’s a bright spot on an otherwise dreary internet.
    I’m very sorry to hear about Kris’ condition. This past tuesday, I lost a very close friend to
    leukemia. She was 23. So my good vibes go out to you and yours. I don’t envy what you are about to face.
    A long-time fan and now supporter,
    Sarah

  35. Outstanding effort. How refreshing to spend a part of the old Valentine’s Day budget on something that really means something. Keep on, Wil & Anne!

  36. Hey wil,
    a group of us here are sending out some major ‘good recovery’ mojo for kris… i have a friend with cancer at the moment and your comment about it being a reminder of our mortality rings true.
    the second the paypal gets up there’ll be a donation from scotland for you!
    jill

  37. I am glad to see others show their love and support with their donations…I have wandered to your site many times and never posted a comment before thought I would now, to say that I enjoy reading your posts! All the best to you in raising money for research! Keep it up!

  38. Best of luck Wil, I’ll kick some green your way when the PayPal link is up. Rather you handle the money than get on the mailing list of The Lukemia Foundation. I like to pick and choose where my money goes.

  40. Wow. Over $8K now.
    Awesome. Gotta love the power of the Internet. Come on guys- wouldn’t it be great to help Anne and Wil kick in a $10,000 dollar donation for Valentine’s Day? We can do this. We just might, if things keep rolling along the way they have been.
    cool. just really cool. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day out there.

  41. Wil,
    Give Kris the best from everyone coming to WWDN. My ten bucks came as the contributions were at $8511. It would be awesome if we generated lots more than the $25K you’re aiming at: the publicity could have a snowball effect and attract even more folks to the cause.
    Kris also needs to know that the docs out there are doing awesome things. I’m sure she’s in good hands. My prayers are with her. And, Anne and you, Wil, are super to be supporting here this way, too.

  42. Wil,
    I’m international and I dig paypal, I have an acct# with them. So let me know how I can donate to you via paypal and I would like to help out also.
    Good luck with everything.

  43. $8641!!! Yeeharr!
    Where’s this PayPal of yours, Wil, I’m sure the tally will start to shoot up even faster once that’s in place.. for us non-USers, it would make it a lot easier!
    Lis from Aus 🙂

  45. Wow. This really awesome. I’m in Canada, so I’m looking forward to the paypal option so that I can chip in. Great work readers!
    I’m a young guy, recently graduated from university, and I don’t have a lot of money, but I know that being able to put 10 dollars here or 5 dollars there into a food bank donation, or medical research can make a difference — and helping out whenever I can just plain makes me feel good.
    It’s great to see web celebs like Wil use their influence to turn people towards good works like this!

  47. I read Anne’s entry and wanted to make one comment. She said that she couldn’t donate blood because she’s not the right type. Donating blood is a gift you can give to a stranger who IS the right type, however. Just because it can’t be used for your specific friend doesn’t mean that you should just forget about the idea. Donating blood is simple and safe and can save a life. As a blood recepient myself, I am very grateful to the anonymous donor who gave me a chance to get better. I strongly encourage you to donate blood if you are able and extend help and hope to a larger community. It’s obvious that you’re very caring people and I don’t think you should overlook this opportunity to help. Sorry if this comment has already been made.

  48. And while I’m preaching–consider putting yourself on the National Marrow Donor list. Not as simple as donating blood, but you could give someone with leukemia, lymphoma, and other conditions a second chance at life.
    And I did drop some money into the pot. Over $8,000 now. That is so awesome. I hope you blow your goal away.

  49. I have no health insurance right now. I have a temp job where I can be let go at any time. I am about to enter into law school, and I am paying my own way.
    I just donated $20.00. Nobody better tell me they don’t have the money! 🙂
    This Valentine’s Day is the first one where I wasn’t frightened that my boyfriend would end up in the hospital, full of radiation. Though it’s a different kind of cancer, I feel I have to donate to thank God and everyone who helped him and a very shaken me through that time. My love to Kris AND her husband and children.

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