Marathon Complete!

On Sunday, October 22nd, I completed the Chicago Marathon in memory of Ian MacDonald. I ran the race with 'For Ian' written across the back of my shirt and I felt his strength with me for each of the 26.2 miles.

My finish time was 3:53:58 and I averaged 8:55 minute miles. My overall stats were 9,664th out of 33,633 participants, 2,394th out of all females and 607th in my Division of females 25 - 29.

The final donation amount to the Melanoma Research Foundation was $11,085. Thank you all for your generosity and support over the past several months.

This has been an amazing and emotional experience, and I couldn't have done it for a better person, family and cause.

Donation Progress

Final Donation to the Melanoma Research Foundation in Memory and Honor of Ian MacDonald

$11,085

A huge thank you to all who have donated so generously.

"You could not do a better thing to keep Ian's memory alive and touch his so beloved Anna, his family and friends, all of us who simply will never forget him and his special ways of bringing laughter and sunshine in our midst."

Donors
Jamie Moser, Laurie Havener-Hunsicker, Blake Keeley, Gillan MacDonald, Joele Frank & Larry Klurfeld, Kate Manchester, Jessie Holladay, The McAuliffe Family, Pia MacDonald, Brian Hitt, Nadine Gaetani, Bobby & Tito Patri, Kelly Shannon, Janine Manhood, Tony Brenner, Sean Olson, Barbara Strick, Joanne Smith, Nancy Goddard, The Keker Family, Richard Welch, Sandy Price, Elizabeth Minshall, Alan Hitt, Janine Manhood, Jeff Nelson, Claudia Brady, Helene & Charles Linker, Katie Montgomery, Tom Schaal, Lisa Tayeri, Jake Rohe, Elisabeth & Greg Goddard, Denise MacDonald, Kathy Harriman, Mollie Klurfeld, The Brodsky Family, Google Inc., Susan Harriman, Jamie Harrison, Nancy Chavez, Jon Olson, Liz Armistead, Zach Klurfeld, Frank Greene, Jillian Waldman, Cailin Rice

THANK YOU!!

A Tribute to Ian MacDonald

Everyone that came in contact with him felt his vitality, and up until his final breath, he inspired the people around him.

Ian William Hakon MacDonald
August 10, 1969 - March 29, 2006

His life sparkled with love, laughter, family and great friends.

How To Donate

Please contribute to the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Click on the link below to donate in Ian's memory.
Then click on the PayPal link and reference
Payment For: Ian MacDonald

DONATE NOW!

Thank you for your generosity in memory and honor of Ian.

Donations go directly to the Melanoma Research Foundation and are tax deductible.

My company (Google, Inc.) will match up to $3,000 of our donation.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me directly.

The Melanoma Research Foundation

The Mission

• To support medical RESEARCH for finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma.
• To EDUCATE patients and physicians about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma.
• To act as an ADVOCATE for the melanoma community to raise awareness of this disease and the need for a cure.

Facts about Melanoma

• Melanoma is in epidemic growth with a 3% rise in cases per year
• Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer currently in USA and worldwide
• Melanoma accounts for 5% of all skin cancers and 71% of all skin cancer deaths
• Melanoma currently ranks 8th on the NCI Research Funding for Cancer list

information from www.melanoma.org

Photographs

In Memory of Ian

Ian William Hakon MacDonald.

The personification of what a wonderful husband, son, brother, and friend should be, passed away on March 29, 2006 in San Francisco. His life sparkled with love, laughter, family, and great friends. Ian was insatiably curious and had an amazingly broad range of interests, and whether the subject was the Arctic or ancient metalworking or Aston Martins or single malt whiskey, his enthusiasm was infectious. He worked as an industrial designer, architect, and teacher. His love of life surmounted the challenges he faced due to cancer. A native of San Francisco (born on August 10, 1969), he graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (BA in architecture) and the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, England (MA in industrial design), where he met and fell madly in love with his wife Anna, a native of Greece. The six years they spent together were the happiest and most creative years of his life.

Before moving to London, Ian was an architect in San Francisco for eight years working on projects such as the new Oakland Bay Bridge, retrofitting the Golden Gate Bridge, and affordable housing. He was a relentless dreamer who claimed that any problem could be solved through design. Ian pursued his dream of becoming an industrial designer in London, working successfully with jewelry, home accessories, furniture and retail interiors, which were featured in galleries and publications in Europe.

Ian was an intrepid adventurer who took great pleasure from nature and the serenity it offered. He scaled cliffs rock climbing, hiked many mountain trails, and spent countless summers under the northern lights on a remote island in British Columbia. His passion to explore took him to all corners of the earth, from a barren beach in the Artic to the horse trails of Iceland, and from the mountains of Sweden to the warm olive groves of Greece. Ian's enthusiasm, restless curiosity about people and ever-present wit ensured that he made friends everywhere he went. Moreover, with his warmth, he always managed to stay in touch with his far-flung group of friends. Earlier this month he repeatedly stated "I have had the best life ever...I am at peace with the world." Everyone that came in contact with him felt his vitality, and up until his final breath, he inspired the people around him.

He is survived by his wife, Anna MacDonald; mother, Gillan MacDonald; father, Donald MacDonald, all of San Francisco; sisters, Denise MacDonald of Vancouver, British Columbia and Pia MacDonald (Daniel Rodriguez); and nephews, Axel and Lucian Rodriguez all of Chapel Hill, NC. He also leaves behind many devoted friends in his native S.F., across the United States and abroad.

Published in the San Francisco Chronicle from 4/5/2006 - 4/9/2006.