Saturday, June 17, 2006

My little Brother is married....


Russell and Katie are MARRIED! Congratulations to them. I now have another cool sister in law. The wedding was beautiful and lots of fun. Good luck to them as they set up their new household in Milledgeville this summer. Love to you both and CONGRATS! Posted by Picasa

Katy Wins, Katy Wins



Another great year of derby racing for the Stewart family and the Tilley family. On June 3rd, Katy pulled off some more firsts in Athens, TN. She is now the first winner of the Athens master's division and the first one to go to 4 All Americans from Athens, TN....one in every division and one in the rally division for Super Stock. Wish Katy luck as she races in Akron on July 22nd.

Here is an article written by Katy's future brother in law, Tom:
14-YEAR-OLD TENNESSEE SOAP BOX DERBY RACER MAKES HISTORY, SPREADS IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT CANCER
ATHENS, Tenn. --
Katy Tilley, a 14-year-old soap box derby veteran, made history last Saturday by winning her third local title and advancing to theAll-American Soap Box Derby National Championships in Akron, Ohio, for the fourth time. Speeding down the track in a pink and blue car that featured the pink breast cancer ribbon and the words, "Find a Cure," Tilley defeated a field of male participants in Athens' first-ever Masters Division competition."When we got into this sport five years ago, we could have never imagined that Katy would make four trips to the national championships," Katy's mother, Judy Tilley, said. "This year we knew it was going to be her final go-around and her final car. We wanted to make this last experience special as a family. Now we're headed to Akron for the final time, and Katy is racing to 'Find a cure.' It has definitely turned out to be special."Katy's upcoming appearance in Akron this July marks the fourth of her career. In her three previous appearances in the stock, super-stock and super-stock rally divisions her family cheered her on despite the presence of the psychological stress of cancer. Judy was battling breast cancer and undergoing chemotherapy treatments during the 2002 championships. In addition Katy's grandfather Eugene Tilley was simultaneously battling coloncancer (he passed two days after Katy's return from Akron). Then in 2003, with Judy going through her final stages of chemotherapy treatment, the family went to Akron bearing the thought of Judy's father, CharlieHolbert,and his personal battle with pancreatic cancer. He succumbed to the disease that October.Katy reached the national championships again as a super-stock rally racer in July of 2004, and Judy once again made the trip to Akron this time bearing the thought of the painful breast reconstruction surgery that was impending upon her return home to Tennessee.Katy took a one-year hiatus from the racetrack during the summer of 2005 before deciding to try her hand in this year's inaugural Athens, Tenn.,Master Division competition. The thought of cancer was still present,bu tthis time the message was a positive one. Judy Tilley has been in remissionfor the past two years, although she still has the chemotherapy port that was surgically inserted into her chest. Judy, her husband, David, and the entire Tilley family have become active in the fight against cancer and the"Find a Cure" campaign. That activism led to Katy's new pink,cancer-themed racecar.Katy is the only racer in the 13-year history of the Athens championships to win each division (stock, super-stock and masters). She is also the onlyAthens racer to earn four trips to the national championships. This year's championships are July 22 at Derby Downs in Akron."We'll finally be able to make the trip to Akron and really enjoy it,"David said. "In years past, it was like walking on pins and needles because there was always someone in the family fighting cancer. This year we can go, have a good time and increase awareness with Katy's car."