After the three great speakers this morning there was still plenty of work to do before closing out the inaugural LIVESTRONG Summit, including more round table work, an award presentation and, of course, a truly memorable closing ceremony.

Building on the speeches, discussions and presentations by the four delegate panelists on Saturday, the delegates put pen to paper to begin drafting their individual Personal Action Plans.  LAF Chief Mission Officer Doug Ulman set out the guidelines for the final task:  "You may find a way to solve an unmet need in your community that we collectively identified, or you might want to become a better fundraiser for the LAF or another cancer cause important to you.  You might want to become a personal advocate in the fight against cancer, or even better, you might come up with something none of us has even dreamed of yet," he said.  "While we don't expect you to get it finalized in the next hour, we do want to know what you're thinking so we can help provide the resources and information you need to make an impact in your community.  Good luck!"  And with that the delegates got back to work with assistance from volunteer round table leaders, many of whom were LAF staffers.

Following the round table session, Lance presented some very (very) well-deserved recognition in the form of the 2006 LIVESTRONG Award.  This year’s honorees were Jerry and Angie Kelly from Birmingham, Alabama.  Jerry lost his father and both grandfathers to cancer before he, too, was diagnosed with testicular cancer.  The diagnosis came in January 2000, only four months after he and Angie were married.  Since then the dynamic duo have become steadfast volunteers for the Foundation, spreading the word about the LAF’s mission, traveling across the country and around the world to various events and raising tens-of-thousands of dollars along the way to help in the fight against cancer.

"I actually found the LAF website immediately after I was diagnosed," Jerry said. "I remembered Lance's story, which was very emotional and inspiring to me, from his first Tour de France victory six months earlier.  It was very personal to me because I was diagnosed with testicular cancer and Lance's cancer had spread through out his body, even his brain – which was what killed my dad. So I felt like it was something my family could easily relate to and a positive outcome that we needed to hear."

Angie summed up their dedication to the cause by sharing her reaction to their first LAF event, Ride for the Roses 2001.   "After we came home I was asked how long we were going to keep doing this. I said, ‘Until there's no more cancer.' and that's why we keep doing what we can."  As you can imagine, Jerry and Angie received a standing ovation from the crowd of 700 delegates. 

And finally it was time for a rousing finale.   Lance introduced the local Austin band Wideawake, noting as they took the stage how important their song, Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow had become to the LIVESTRONG movement. Written by lead singer Scott Leger, the song has served as an inspiration for thousands and also is a fundraiser for the LAF on iTunes. With the song building to a crescendo the audience stood and sang along, holding hands, hugging each other – many in tears.  Mid-way through the song, Scott addressed the crowd, "Thank you for all you are doing.  We are so honored and proud to be a part of this amazing event!  This is your song." 

Truly this was the perfect ending to an incredible LIVESTRONG Summit:  hundreds of cancer survivors living life on their own terms and banding together to make a real difference.  While the 2006 LIVESTRONG Summit has come to an end, it is definitely not over.  The Summit will extend to communities all over the country as delegates enact their plans to make a difference.  And this is just the beginning!