Ks For Keegan |

Dallas Marathon Ks for Keegan Relay Teams

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 00:10:00 +0000

BIG NEWS!!

We are adding a new option for Ks for Keegan RELAY TEAMS for the Dallas Marathon on December 13, 2015!! The Dallas Marathon benefits one of Keegan’s favorite hospitals, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children which treats his immune disorder.

Each team is made up of 5 runners/walkers who each run/walk one leg of the relay ranging from 4.25 to 6.25 miles, and together, you finish an entire 26.2 miles! For ease of communication, I have created an event page on Facebook to manage the teams. If you are not a personal friend on Facebook and are interested in joining us, please comment below. I will send you an invite to the event page that way.

This is not our last Ks for Keegan event of the year, by any means. It just is going to take some more organization and time to register all the different teams. Stay tuned for more info!

Ks for Keegan – Second Chance 5K

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 16:53:00 +0000

It’s only one month until the next Team Ks for Keegan event of 2015. Woot woot!

Join us at the Second Chance Run in Fort Worth on MAY 16.

We are so happy that Donate Life has finally brought this race to North Texas.

The mission of Team Ks for Keegan is to spread organ donation awareness and support the bravery of donors and recipients. We can’t wait to show up in force and sincerely hope you’ll join us.

There is a 5K option with team registration (select KsforKeegan from the drop down menu) for $18.

There is no discount code for this race, but the price does go up in 2 weeks.

If you would prefer the 1 mile option, there is no “team” registration option.

Just select 1 mile individual, and show up on race morning in your Ks for K shirt!

IF YOU ARE DOING THE 1 MILE, please let me know in comments or via email because you will NOT be listed with our team on the registration site. I will need to add you to any team communications manually.

If you still need a Ks for Keegan shirt, let me know your size before May 1.

Cotton shirts are $13. Tech shirts are $22.

See you at the start line!

Firefly Run 2015

admin — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 17:22:00 +0000

Come join us for the first team event of 2015 at the FIREFLY RUN!

Saturday, March 28, 2015

7pm

Campus at Legacy (Hedgcoxe & Legacy)

We had an awesome turnout last year, and we’d love to have a BIGGER team this year!

Team tshirts are available if you let me know by Monday, March 23.

Cotton $13. Tech $13.

Choose team registration; select team name Ks for Keegan from the drop down menu.

Password is also ksforkeegan.

DISCOUNT CODE: FFRMAI3U02N

More races coming this year! Keep watching for updates!

Firefly Run awesomeness!

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 03:48:00 +0000

So almost a month ago (eek!), we had an AMAZING turn-out for K’s for Keegan at the Firefly Run. I mean, seriously y’all, look at this!

We had family, friends from every part of our lives, Gray’s coworkers, the kids’ pediatrician’s office, and Keegan’s home healthcare company. We were so honored by the number of people that came out to support Keegan and Children’s this year, and honestly, I cannot WAIT to see how much bigger it can be next year. Truly, I ran the entire thing on cloud nine.

My friend, Kelly, from high school has been one of K’s for Keegan’s most loyal supporters.

She rocks.

This kid had so much fun, that he wanted no part of going home that night. Thank you so much to everyone who came out. I’m diligently looking for another race we can have a large presence at, but you can count on us being out in force for next year’s Firefly!

K’s for Keegan catch-up & reminder

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:53:00 +0000

As apparently is my habit lately, here we are in late March, and I am finally putting together a quick K’s for Keegan update after two marathons and the first triathlon of the year so far. I would apologize, but I would doubt anyone expected any more from me at this point in my lackadaisical blogging. Let’s attempt to bring this thing up to speed.

In January, I ran the Houston Marathon. A dear friend gifted me with a Run for a Reason charity bib through the National Kidney Foundation after the Dallas Marathon was cancelled. The day was warm, and the race was well-organized. I was able to catch the whole family, including the kids, at mile 14. Gray and Alex’s friend, Matt, found me again at mile 21, and then everyone was there at the finish to cheer me on. Considering I had been training for over 20 weeks by that point, I hoped to have done better, but for a first-timer, I will take it. Keegan crossed the finish line hand-in-hand with me, and that is a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Hugs from Keegan over half-way in

Sure helped to hear these two yelling, “run, Mommy, run!”

Crossing the finish line together

The biggest surprise of the day came shortly after the race. LaMonica, Keegan’s donor’s mom, happened to be in her hometown of Houston with the kids, and she came to surprise us at lunch. Such a blessing and the perfect way to celebrate together!

Then, it was only four short weeks before the Cowtown Marathon, and I threw in 15K in between. Gray and I were able to make it to Fort Worth the day before the race and spend some time with two of our best friends, the Currys. 26 miles was a good way to spend my 34th birthday. I know watching me run probably isn’t Gray, Marci, or Todd’s idea of spending the morning in FW, but it’s been a tradition that means a lot to me. Next year, I have my eyes on the ultra for my 35th!

I am still a proud member of Team Beads of Courage.

I carry beads with me for every race, and they remind me

of the strength that Keegan and every child like him exhibits daily.

If they can do it, so can I.

I love the Cowtown race because I’m a bit of a lone-wolf runner. I like that it is smaller and older. It gives it a more personal feel. However, the old-school ways sometimes come back to bite you. Since Cowtown was the only local marathon after the Dallas cancellation that still had open registration (remember that Houston has a lottery that fills up immediately; I ran on a charity bib), the race was completely overwhelmed this year by the influx of refugee runners from Dallas. I felt the strain after handing my gear check bag over at the chaos in the sheep barn. I realized a few minutes later that I had accidentally checked my fuel belt with half my fuel, all my electrolytes, and my precious kleenex (I had been battling a raging sinus infection, fun times). Since they don’t organize bags at the check right away like bigger races, we couldn’t find my bag. With the world’s most sensitive stomach and an unseasonably warm day, I left to run the marathon with only two gels and no electrolytes. I made it through, mainly due to my awesome hubby and friends forcing me to stay positive and driving all over FW to hand me kleenex and encouragement.

With the year’s first two marathons under my belt, it was time to switch gears for the start of triathlon season. We had a nice warm week, but then old man winter decided he wanted to rain on my parade one more time. Literally. On Saturday, a nasty cold front brought in a good amount of rain and wicked high winds, sustained at 25mph and gusts near 40mph. Not the best conditions to be riding in while wet. I buckled down and survived, managing to score an early spot at the end-of-the-year sprint invitational and placing 3rd in my age group on the run. I almost ate it twice on the bike when the winds truly threatened to knock me down, and I learned my lesson on overestimating my swim time. I will not let myself get stuck in a slow pack of swimmers again. Oy.

Trying to block out the fact that I’m about to jump in a pool,

then run out soaking wet into 40 degree temps and 30mph winds.

I was pretty happy with the layers that I chose to get through,

especially compared to some of the other yahoos out there that didn’t!

I do HIGHLY regret forgetting my toe covers for the bike.

The run felt like I had bricks for feet until mile 2.8,

when unfortunately there was less than half a mile left to go.

Wow, that’s a rough picture.

I am not a beer drinker, but Gray truly deserved it after sticking with me during this one.

I would be lost without him.

Well, that catches us up on the year so far, but the most important race is coming up on the 29th. That would be the Firefly 5K where YOU have the chance to officially join Team K’s for Keegan. We have a great team signed up so far, but we are always looking for more. The Firefly is a night race where everyone wears glow-in-the-dark stuff to light it up and raise money for Children’s Medical Center. If you would still like to order a K’s for Keegan tshirt, please let me know that also. I must place the order by this FRIDAY, MARCH 21!! Comment below or email me with questions.

Please consider joining us and register today!

https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/K_sforKeegan

2014 is off to a pretty good start. There’s still plenty of work to do and lots of opportunities to spread the word about the importance of organ donation through K’s for Keegan. Thank you for your support and encouragement! You keep us moving along!

K’s for Keegan in 2014

admin — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 04:47:00 +0000

The Lord knows I have plenty of Christmas photos and happenings to catch up on here, but first, something very important…our first K’s for Keegan update for 2014!

2013 was full of ups and downs for me personally, as far as running goes, and unfortunately, we didn’t end up having any big fundraising K’s for Keegan races. I did complete all 13 of my races that I pledged to run in 2013. The Dallas Marathon was supposed to have been my last race, so instead I had to quickly sign up for a virtual race to fit in my last one. The same group is hosting a 14 in 2014 challenge, but I’m not in a big rush to push for that at this point.

In order to help our K’s for Keegan team move along though, I’m going to try something new for this year. I am hoping to have some more actual K’s for Keegan registered teams this year for a few races. However, I will also post about any additional races I plan on participating in where others may want to join in. Most of these races won’t have an option to register as a team, but anyone who wants to come out, wear their team shirt, and walk or run will be welcome. The more the merrier! Contact me before any of these races if you plan on coming out, and if nothing else, we can snap a “team picture” before the race! As you know, I’ll be at the Houston Marathon on January 19 and the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth on February 23. I’ll also be running the Hot Chocolate 15k on February 8; there’s a 5k there, too.

Without further ado, announcing our first official K’s for Keegan team race of 2014:

the Firefly Run 5K on March 29th!

A few of us did this race last year, and it was really fun. It’s a night-time, illuminated race with as much glow-in-the-dark stuff you can manage. How fun is that?! It’s just down the street from our house, and the proceeds benefit Children’s Medical Center Dallas, where Keegan receives most of his care. We would love to have a big team this year, so come on out to run or walk with us!

Here’s the link to our team page: https://fundraising.active.com/fundraiser/K_sforKeegan

To register, click the green button on the left hand side of the page of the link above. Choose “team registration”, timed or untimed, your choice. Until January 1, you can get early registration prices, and use the code LASTCHANCE30 to get an additional $5 off. Even better, if we rustle up 25 people to register before January 1, we will be entered to win a VIP package with our own tent, parking, and other perks!

So don’t wait! Register today! We can’t wait for you to join us in celebrating Keegan, raising money for Children’s, and spreading awareness for organ donation. Let me know if you still need a K’s for Keegan tshirt too! And if you can’t join us, any donation to our team would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, friends! Here’s to 2014!!

Thanksgiving & Keegan’s first race

admin — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 04:20:00 +0000

We braved the cold on Thanksgiving morning and made it to the Turkey Trot for Keegan’s first race, the Miracle Mile with his teammates from the Miracle League of Frisco.

All 4 of us carried Beads of Courage during the race.

Bundled up before the race

Keegan and his Buddy

Our little K’s for Keegan team

He walked a few paces at the beginning but quickly went back in the stroller with Audrey.

The crowds and noise of the announcer at the start were a bit much for him.

Keegan’s amazing Buddy pushed BOTH kids in the stroller for most of the mile,

but he managed to cross the finish line on his own two feet!

Way to go, Keegan! We’re so proud.

Due to BD’s recovery, we had Thanksgiving at our house, just the 4 of us & Aunt Alex.

My two turkeys

Aunt Alex started a fun tradition of lighting floating lanterns,

lifting our gratitude up to the heavens.

They were quite amazing to watch.

We are all extremely grateful for another holiday at home

and for every moment we are together as a family.

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours!

Dallas Morning News article

admin — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 05:27:00 +0000

Something happened today that has never happened to me before or will ever happen again.

We made the sports page of the newspaper!

You can find the article about K’s for Keegan and preparing for the Dallas Marathon (in 4 days, eek!) by clicking HERE.

Here’s a snapshot of the actual paper, since our photo didn’t make the electronic version.

Thank you, Debbie, for sharing Keegan’s story and helping us spread the word about organ donation. Here’s hoping that the predicted epic cold front arriving tonight will bring less precipitation than estimated! I can handle cold, but I’m not sure about sleet or ice. If you have a few minutes on Sunday morning, say a little prayer for me, would you? I don’t often ask for them for myself, but I sure would appreciate it! Thanks, y’all!

Shirts are in!!

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 22:35:00 +0000

Yes, I have a zillion things I need to write and update about. It has been two weeks of literally chasing our tails with Keegan’s labs, among a host of other issues he is throwing our way. I feel like a chicken with my head cut off every single day. Not one day in the last two weeks has gone the way I intended or hoped. Another story (albeit not a surprising one) for another day.

This is what’s important today:

That’s a really awful picture to show you that

OUR K’S FOR KEEGAN SHIRTS ARE IN!!

If you contacted me earlier via email, blog comment, Facebook, or word of mouth with your desired sizes, then I had those sizes printed for you. I did order a few extra of each size in cotton shirts, but I need time to get everyone who pre-ordered theirs first. I did NOT order any extra tech shirts because they are more expensive. I can absolutely print more if we sell all of these! That would be SO amazing!

If you ordered a shirt, here’s what I need you to do:

Please EMAIL me at keeganharrison@yahoo.com with your name, sizes/type of shirt, and if we are mailing it to you, your ADDRESS. If you are local and want to pick it up, let me know that. Please do not put this information in a blog comment or Facebook post.
I will respond to confirm your sizes and with our address where a check can be sent.
If you would like to pick your shirt up, you can come to our house in Plano or Gray’s office in Dallas. We will confirm via email.
COTTON SHIRTS: $13 each
TECH SHIRTS: $22 each
SHIPPING: $5 flat rate

Just a reminder that if you expressed interest earlier, I did order your shirt. We are not making a profit off of these. This is simply a way to spread the word about organ donation, and we paid for the entire order out of our own pockets for now. I am so excited to get these shirts out and see some pictures of y’all wearing them! We are trying to find our next race, and now that we have team shirts, I’m hopeful more of Keegan’s fans will come join us. Please let me know if you have any questions at all. Thank you again for your love and support. We are truly overwhelmed.

K’s for Keegan Shirts

admin — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:29:00 +0000

I definitely have a lot of posts coming this week. (I hope….let’s not commit to too much, shall we?) Audrey’s third birthday party was yesterday. An explosion of pink in my house, but she had a blast! Her real birthday is coming up this week, and she recently made the jump to her big girl bed. Then there’s Keegan. Sigh. Not sure what to make of that yet. So lots to update about, obviously.

For today though, let’s talk K’s for Keegan!! We found a local printing company to help us with some t-shirts. Many have asked us about ordering a shirt. Here’s your chance.

The cotton version will be on a white shirt with the logo Keegan’s godfather, Teague, designed on the front.

On the back, it will say “Keegan is alive today thanks to an organ donor. Be a hero. Donate life.” It will also have the website for the national organ donation non-profit organization that helps coordinate the official state registries, http://donatelife.net, and Keegan’s blog address.

If there is enough interest, we can also print more technical shirts like the one Gray and I wear at races that are made of a wicking material.

ARE YOU READY TO JOIN THE K’S FOR KEEGAN TEAM?

Here’s what I need from you:

Comment below with how many shirts and what sizes you would be interested in ordering. We don’t have a price yet, but the more people that express interest at first, the more shirts we can order, the lower the price will be.
OR email me at keeganharrison@yahoo.com with your desired number and sizes.

I will be meeting with the printer by next week and will have an idea of the final cost. Then we can either take true orders. I need your help though to know how many I should order. If you have any questions at all, comment or email, and I will get back ASAP. Thank you so much!