In December of 2005 Anne Barbetta's life was saved by a double-lung transplant. She was so grateful that she immediately started thinking of ways to "give back" and came up with the idea of a walk to raise money for lung transplant research at Toronto General Hospital. I was happy to help Anne promote the event and my heartfelt thanks go to my many sponsors whose donations made a big contribution to the amazing total raised, especially since this was a first time event. But I'll let Anne tell the story in her own words:

"I cannot begin to convey my heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the first annual Breathe in Life Walk, which was held on May 27, 2007 at Fairy Lake in Newmarket (Ontario). Thankfully, the weather cooperated and over 100 participants celebrated the gift of life by walking 1km or 5km around beautiful Fairy Lake. I expect that pictures will be posted on theTGH Team for Transplant web site within the next two weeks.

Although I can not yet tell you the exact amount raised because donations are still coming in, I am thrilled to inform you that well over $40,000 was raised! The success of the inaugural Breathe in LIfe Walk can be directly attributed to the tremendous support that each of you made either by participating, raising donations, or by sponsoring an individual or team. I am completely overwhelmed by the incredible generosity of those who made donations and by the unwavering commitment of those who participated to raise as much money as they possibly could.

As you know, one hundred percent of the net proceeds will benefit lung transplant research at Toronto General Hospital. Together, we are going to ensure that essential funding is provided for the world renowned surgeons and physicians who are responsible for making Toronto General Hospital one of the top transplant centres in the world. All of your efforts are certainly going to make a significant difference in the lives of many Canadians.

Congratulations to everyone who made this event such a great success. Special thanks to one of my heroes, Merv Sheppard, who promoted the Breathe in LIfe Walk tirelessly and raised $1000 as well! There is a famous quote which reads, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but rather, by the moments that take our breath away." Thank you all for making this event one of those moments for me!

I look forward to seeing everyone at Fairy Lake next year for an even bigger and better event! With gratitude always, Anne Barbetta"

Visit my blog:Merv Sheppard's Transplant Network

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