I don’t often commemorate September 5. It’s a day I can’t ever really forget, but I can choose to let the events of September 5, 1985 define every 9/5 forever after, or I can let it be a solemn reminder to appreciate the Now. My dad, Donald Milner, lost his 18-month battle with melanoma 23 years ago today.

Like I said, I don’t make a big deal out of the day. But I saw that there’s a multi-network benefit that began tonight at 8:00pm EDT called Stand Up to Cancer. It’s a laudable effort that puts together the minds behind the most advanced thinking into the causes, treatments and eventual cures to this thing that takes so many lives in so many different ways. So here I am, lauding it.

Please head over to the Stand Up to Cancer website. Read about the need and the effort. If you have the means, throw a little coin their way. When melanoma claimed my dad, the survival rate for the type that he had was below 10%. Now, treated early enough, it’s almost at 100%. That’s amazing progress – on that one form of cancer. There are still so many families having their time together cut short, so many 12-year old boys who will wish they had one more football season together with their dad.

Sorry to be such a freaking downer here. But no matter your political stripe, if you look at the amazing thing a grassroots campaign did for Obama’s candidacy, just try to imagine something like that for something we can all get behind. Please head over there and check them out at the very least. Thanks.