Racing for Starlight
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I'm announcing something special tomorrow to all my friends and family but wanted you to know first. I'm so excited I just couldn't wait one more day or even one more hour to share.
When I signed up for Ironman St. George a week or so ago, I realized that I had an opportunity to do something special. Not just for myself, but for others too. See, all these miles add up, but for what? So I can be proud of myself? So that I could prove something to myself? Maybe at first, but it's not good enough anymore.
I want to do something bigger. Something that matters. Something that can really help other people. I've been inspired by friends like Rusty Carter and Jeff Klinger, who have taken the initiative to combine their passions with charitable giving.
With that in mind, I present to you my Ironman Starlight Challenge Fundraiser!
Starlight Children’s Foundation (www.starlight.org) has made an impact on me the past few years. Starlight’s mission is to better the quality of life for children with serious illness and life-altering injuries – from diagnosis through the entire course of medical treatment.
When a child is hospitalized, it can be a very scary and lonely experience. Starlight helps brighten the environment through its Fun Center program. Fun Centers are mobile entertainment units that include a Nintendo Wii gaming system, flat screen TV and DVD player. You can only imagine how exciting it must be for a young patient to have a Fun Center rolled into his or her hospital room to help pass the time and forget about their worries for a while.
The games studio where I work, Insomniac Games, supports Starlight by sponsoring the placement of Fun Centers at children's hospitals. I've personally seen how happy the kids are when a Fun Center gets wheeled into their unit.
Starlight is so much more than Fun Centers though. The entertainment, education and family activities Starlight provides to seriously ill children and their families make it unlike any other charity. Please take a moment to learn more about the foundation at www.starlight.org.
Here's my plan: For every mile I train from March 5, 2012 to race day on May 5, 2012 -- I will personally donate $1 to Starlight. Insomniac is matching and doubling my $1 per mile donation.
I anticipate training 1,000 miles in the next two months.
I'd like to work together to bring Starlight Fun Centers to children's hospitals – the more Fun Centers, the better, of course!
- $5,000 will cover the sponsorship of one Fun Center.
- $10,000 will cover the sponsorship of two Fun Centers.
- $15,000 will cover the sponsorship of three Fun Centers .
So far, I've trained 134.55 combined miles since March 5, which translates to $403.66. It's a start! We've got a long ways to go but it's a start.
Will you join me in bringing endless hours of fun and distraction to hospitalized children? Click here to get these Fun Center wheels rolling and to keep me moving. And please don’t forget to spread the word with friends and family. Of course, I'll be reminding you regularly too!
Thank you in advance to everyone who reads the blog and is willing to help me along this journey. You've inspired me for a long time and now it's my turn to give back.