That is the Question…

If you keep up with the Young Professionals Loop on Ohio.com at all, you've already heard about about our recent excursion to Y-Town. (If not, check out the post "11 YPs and a Van…")

We had such a great time on that short roadie that it got us to thinkin' - what if we planned a YP road trip? Where would we go? How would we get there? What would we do? And most important: if we plan it, will they come?

Rather than keep these as hypothetical questions, we decided to ask you! Take a few seconds (literally!) to respond to our YP Road Trip Survey. Feel free to forward the survey link to your friends and colleagues. Thanks in advance for your feedback, and stay tuned for more info!

Grab your gym shorts and your sneakers and hit the dodgeball court this fall! The Akron Recreation Bureau's fall dodgeball league is back, and games are scheduled to start Monday, October 8. The cost for a team of 12 is $125. If you don't have a team, but you'd love to play, show up at Balch Street Community Center at 6:00 p.m. Monday, October 8. The folks from the Akron Recreation Bureau will try to find a team for you.

Click here for more information or call Chris Griffith at (330) 375-2838.

You may end up filing this in the TMI file, but…

Yesterday morning I got the kind of call that I know we all dread. My Dad called to tell me that my Grandma Elaine had passed away after an extended illness. Having spent the weekend with my family at her bedside in Elyria, I was expecting the call. What I wasn't really expecting was how it would make me feel.

My family situation is sort of complex. My parents divorced when I was two and they were both remarried by the time I was 6. I've had four parents for as long as I can remember; I wouldn't trade any of them. They are all amazing people, and they each helped me become who I am today. Along with my two step-parents, though, come four step-grandparents. Grandma Elaine was one of them - my step-mom's mom.

I've always called her "Grandma Elaine." Never just "Grandma," never just "Elaine." Always Grandma Elaine. I remember that she told me to call her that at my Dad & Katy's wedding. Because I grew up in Colorado, and Grandma Elaine always lived in Elyria, I never had a chance to develop a close relationship with her, or to get to know her very well, but what I do know about her is this:

Her house, her heart, and her arms were open to all. Hers was the house where all the neighborhood kids wanted to hang out, where all holiday celebrations occurred, and where strangers were always welcomed with a hot meal and a warm smile. These qualities live on in her children and grandchildren, which I believe is the truest testament to the person she was.

We will all miss her.

I'm sharing this about Grandma Elaine today because I hope each person who reads this post will take a moment to say a small prayer for Grandma Elaine and our family and also to reach out to those you love. In the past two years, I've lost three family members. It never gets easier, but it always reminds me of how fortunate I am to love and to be loved by so many people. I gotta go tell them all now…

Hit the streets for the Akron Road Runner Marathon on Saturday, September 29! This year marks the five year anniversary of the marathon, and a number of celebration events are planned.

Registration for the marathon, half-marathon, and team relay is open until midnight on Monday, September 24. There's also a FREE 1K Kid's Fun Run along the Canal Trail from Spaghetti Warehouse to Lock 3.

If running's not your thing, consider signing up as a volunteer. Volunteers make the marathon possible, so get out of bed and get involved! (Yes, I know it requires getting up early on a Saturday, but so what?!?! It's only once a year…) If you're interested in volunteering, register online or e-mail Volunteer Co-Chair Rachel Roukey. Volunteers are especially needed in the following roles:

Friday, Sept. 28
Runners Expo - at the John S. Knight Center. Duties vary ranging from
checking in runners to passing out t-shirts.
Shifts: 10 am - 2 pm or 1:45 pm - 5:30 pm or 5:15 pm - 9:30 pm

Saturday, Sept. 29
Exchange Zones - Firestone Park/Wilbeth Rd., University of Akron/Brown St.,
Sand Run Pkwy., Revere Rd. Duties vary from collecting runners chips to
directing runners through the zone.
Shifts: from 6 am/6:30 am - 11 am/noon (based on the EZ)

Saturday, Sept. 29
Kids Fun Run - located behind the Spaghetti Warehouse on Main Street.
Duties vary from course monitor to passing out goodie bags.
Shift: 7 am - 11:30 am

Saturday, Sept. 29
Finish Line - located inside of Canal Park. Duties vary from passing out
blankets to runners to assisting runners through bleachers to passing out
medals.
Shift: 7 am - 1:30 pm

If you're at Canal Park on marathon day, stop by and say "Hi!" You'll find me at the beer tent, where I'm volunteering with the Akron Jaycees.