i can’t believe it’s that time of the year again.  each year since 2007, i have been honored to donate my time to ride cincinnati.  i shoot candid images of the event participants.  they can enjoy them on the blog and also download high res images from flickr here.  

this event has thousands of cycling participants of all abilities and ages enjoy bike riding in the annual non-competitive, family-oriented event, while at the same time, raising important funds for breast cancer research. i’m proud to say that josh and sarah completed their annual ride but increased the distance to 26 miles!  go team sarah/josh!

ride cincinnati  is dedicated to the life of my very good friend allison’s mom, marlene harris and all others who have, and continue to be, affected by this terrible disease.

for the third year in a row, i had the honor of photographing the montgomery Relay for Life event.  it was just as full of energy as last year only this year…no rain!  yay!  cancer has touched my life, along with so many other people’s lives in much more devastating ways.  we just lost a dear family friend to cancer.  he battled so hard for so long.  enough is enough!  that’s why i consider it an honor to be a part of events like this.  each of us can only do so much but we are a part of a greater whole so, together, we can make a difference.  the highschoolers at the montgomery event made a huge difference.  it amazes me how socially aware kids are these days.  it is so enlightening to see them giving so much of their time, energy and money to causes they feel passionate about.  here are some numbers to give you an idea of the scope of the event i attended. they had 1,401 participants, 149 teams and raised $87, 875.00!  you can read more about Relay for Life here.   the next event i will be at is Ride Cincinnati.  i will be taking fun photos for my sixth year and printing them for free of anyone who attends.  it’s a wonderful event dedicated to the memory of a dear friend of mine.  i hope to see you there.  in the meantime, enjoy some images from Relay for Life 2012.

i’ve been so crazy busy with client posts that i’ve neglected this post which i’ve wanted to write.  i had the honor of photographing Relay For Life at Sycamore High School two weeks ago.  i feel so lucky to be able to use my photography to give to this organization.  i love knowing the images produced can become memories for those who participated in it as well as give the organization images to use however they see fit.  this is my second year participating in Relay for Life.  as I was told last year, “Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.  at Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. because cancer never sleeps.  Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length”. WOW! you can find more info about the event and organization here.

i will soon be volunteering again, taking and printing photos of participants, at the Ride Cincinnati event Sunday, June 12th.  find out how you can be a part here. it’s a lot of fun for a great cause in memory of my close friend’s mother.  there are activities for kids, bike rides for all ages, food, entertainment and more.

on a more personal note, i am excited to report that our close friend who was battling cancer last year is in remission!  by you, me and everyone else participating in these events, giving our time and money, etc. we can, hopefully, beat cancer once and for all.

i took 100′s of images at the event of many people from many schools which I have posted on my Big Shots page on facebook. below are just some of the many i took…