Oh, if it were only this easy! With the aid of video see how author Jennette Fulda lost 192 pounds. She started out at 372 pounds and after two years officially lost half her weight. Last month she ran a half-marathon and released a book based on her weight loss journey.
Looking for a summer run that’s not in 100+ degree heat? How about a visit to Calgary, Alberta? The weather and scenery are great, making for a nice run or walk experience. Several great causes including ALS, cancer and Easter Seals will be having run and/or walk events in June and July.
Funds raised by registration fees and participant pledges have proven to be invaluable to charities such as the ALS Society of Alberta. It has greatly benefited from the $2.5 million raised in the past decade from Betty’s Run/Walk, an event named for Betty Norman of Calgary who died in 1996 at the age of 58, less than a year after being diagnosed with ALS.
From The Calgary Herald
This past weekend was a busy one for Relay for Life all across the US and Canada. Here are some of the great events that went on. Congats to all the teams, individuals and organizers!
This quote from Pat Winter, the honorary chair of the Plymouth County, IA Relay, gives us the voice of the survivors who are honored during the luminaria ceremony:
“After my cancer surgery, I realized my past is not my future,” Winter said. “I appreciated every card and letter I received during my recovery.”
“I feel each day is a treasure. Enjoy your time with family and friends,” said Winter, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor. “For me, there is no such day as a bad hair day,” she said. “Let’s keep fighting.” Winter’s first diagnosis was in December 2000, the second in 2006.
Here are some links to other great relays held last weekend:
Ellis County, TX Relay raised $135,000
Randolph County, IN held a cross-dressing Miss Relay fundraiser during its event
Becca walked the survivor’s lap at the Whitley County, IN Relay For Life
Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada
Kearney, NE has a great video of their relay
Allen County, KS moved its event from August to June with great success
Caledonia County, VT raised $215,000 this year!
Devils Lake, ND relay’ers spirits not dampened by rain
This year the AIDS Walk Boston set record attendance, with more than 20,000 participants and many more spectators. Then they set a record for donations with $1.2 Million raised for AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts. AAC is New England’s first and largest AIDS organization, dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS by preventing new infections and optimizing the health of those already infected.
As top level sponsor Macy’s Foundation brought out the largest walk team with 250 members. Other big corporate sponsors included Monster, EMD Serono, MBTA, Whole Foods Market, Partners HealthCare, TJX Companies, WCVB-TV 5, The Boston Phoenix, Metro Boston, El Planeta and WFNX 101.7.
A few great blog posts from this week…
What Makes an Athlete? from Thomas at Complete Running Network
Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria attended the HOPE! 5K Charity Run/Walk for Padres Contra El Cancer at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last on Saturday. Photos posted on a hundred sites including the one linked here, NiqueHappy.com.
Running Motivation: Find It Within - a thought provoking post by Tom at Runner’s Lounge. Do you run for a charity because of your internal motivation or is it an external motivation? Does it take both to succeed?
Three runs in 21 hours - Midnight runs, snakes and floodwaters, oh my!
May 4th over 40,000 supporters came out to Project Bread’s 40th Walk for Hunger. This was an amazingly successful event, raising $3.8 million for hunger relief and emergency aid programs across Massachusetts.
The top corporate teams were Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ($42,509.99) and Raytheon ($40,774.67). Public and private schools, colleges including MIT, churches and community groups also came out in support of the cause.
This year The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) predicts that over 500,000 people will be participating in the charity’s signature Walk to Cure Diabetes. You might know this walk by the easily recognizable shoe emblem. Many communities raise funds with cards shaped as the shoe that you can purchase, sign and display at grocery stores.
Walk events are planned or have already happened in 200 different cities.
As reported by the Courier & Press, the Evansville, IN event was an example of one of these very successful walk events:
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Walk to Cure Diabetes on May 17 at Holiday World raised $260,000. More than 1,730 people participated in the one-mile event, benefiting research and programs related to Type 1 diabetes.
