My friend Warren Bruno lost his 8 year battle against lymphoma. I met Warren in the early 1990's while working as a volunteer for the Tour de Town bike ride. Back then Warren owned Aunt Charlie's restaurant/bar and we worked together organizing an annual Labor Day ride with races in Buckhead. Ironically proceeds from that event benefited the American Cancer Society. The ride was terminated by ACS because it was not generating more than $100,000 as they became interested only in major fund raisers. The Buckhead Entertainment District also dissolved and Aunt Charlie's closed. I lost track of Warren.
Fast forward to 2005. I'd been coaching the TeamInTraining cycling program several years and training a group cyclists to ride a century in Claxton. One of the team mates was Warren. I learned that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin"Lymphoma, but was doing well enough to train. Early on I asked him if he would share his story and he was somewhat reluctant saying "I really don't enjoy talking about it". Before letting the matter rest I mentioned how whenever we had a survivor who was also training it provided a tremendous lift to the team. A short time later Warren told me he would be willing to tell his story. If you knew Warren during the past 7 years you probably know the rest of this story. Warren became an honored hero for that cycling team and several others over the years. He was the inspiration behind the Georgia Chain Gang a cycling team that did RAAM in 2009 and 2010 raising almost $200,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2009 he was the crew chief and had planned to crew again in 2010 before his cancer returned. He is the honored hero for the 2011 edition of the Georgia Chain Gang and riders and crew will no doubt ride and work even harder in honor of his memory. I am a crew member of this year's team and we have already raised over $125,000 for LLS--and still counting.
I have so many memories of Warren, but the one that sticks out the most is the message he sent to our cycling team last year doing Tahoe and Fletcher. Warren had actually trained to do Tahoe but had to bow out just days before the event. He created the "Top 10 Reasons Cancer Is a Blessing". I pasted it here because it is a true measure of the inspiration Warren created in everybody he came in contact with:
10. Your having Cancer gives neighbors and relatives something to talk about at gatherings.
9. Cancer wakes you up to the fact that you are not in charge.
8. Cancer is a daily reminder that life is finite.
7. Having cancer makes your world stand still, enabling you to take the time to see how wonderful life is.
6. Cancer teaches you not to waste time or spirit on trivial matters
5. Cancer drives you to remember people you have shared life with and recall the many trials and joys that make your life so rich.
4. Cancer brought me to TNT, and a wonderful community of caring people working together in support and love working for a cure.(and a great new group to share my tired old jokes with...)
3. Cancer opens your eyes to the good works you have done and the people that you impacted.
2. Cancer is a constant reminder that we are all connected and we are loved.
1. Cancer brings you much, much closer to your family, people you love, and people you care about.
"To try is to live"
Warren Bruno
Godspeed, Warren, I miss you.
