angels with attitude

I recently found myself in Central Park on a sunny and crisp Sunday morning surrounded by a group of friends old and new from scattered locations across the states. We were in New York for a 15k run  put on by the Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation to help raise  awareness  for  and join the fight against Colon Cancer.  I wish that I could say no one there had lost a loved one to the disease, but that wouldn't be true.  What is true is the amount of inspiration that I pulled from watching the journey from loss to victory.

Over the course of  more than a year, I observed as friends supported each other through pain and those who never considered themselves runners tied up their sneakers with discipline. A team of people emerged, and they became known as the Angels with Attitude.  They raised money to support the cause as they trained and encouraged each other toward the goal of the race.  Eventually, race day came.  It was a beautiful day and one where sadness felt more bittersweet.  After the finish line had been crossed, this team shared victory, exhaustion, pride, hugs and stories of the completed journey.

I didn't run.  I didn't need to.  I needed to watch the story unfold and gain some beautiful perspective.  I did, however, have the privilege of designing the team shirts for the race and I was thrilled to use my creativity for something so meaningful.  The shirts turned out beautiful and gained a lot of positive attention.  Initials fill the wings on the back to honor those being remembered and served as the motivation for many of those running. 

As happy as I was with the way the shirt design turned out, I was overjoyed with the inspiration I gained along the way.  Pondering upon the way that one persons decision from a dark place to take action influenced what took place on that sunny day has captivated my thoughts and ideas.  In fact, I am thrilled to say that a fabulous art project has been born of these ideas and I look forward to sharing the completed work later on in the year.  

In the meantime, find out more about Angels with Attitude and be inspired yourself.