Okay, this is like, really embarrassing, but…
I used to make fun of people who ran races for a cause.
I know! Who mocks fundraisers? I guess thought it was pretentious to link a personal fitness goal to a cause. “If you’re going to raise money,” I’d grumble to Jack, “just raise money. Don’t pretend your walking for 3 days has anything to do with it.”
Then I shuttered all my windows and fired Bob Cratchit.
The most I’d ever run before a few months ago was probably about 2 miles. Then one day my friend Grace told me, “the secret to running a long way is to tell yourself that you’re doing a great job, and to not let yourself stop, even if you want to stop.” The next day I ran ALL THE WAY AROUND GREEN LAKE without stopping.
If you don’t know, Greenlake is 2.8 miles, which doesn’t sound like a lot, BUT IT WAS A LOT. Greenlake was the barrier that separated me from People Who Are Fit. People Who Are Fit can run around Green Lake. The rest of us pick a day on our calendar to try to run, dread it all week, slog 1/3 of the way around the lake, give up, and tell ourselves, “I’m just not a runner, I guess.”
And oh my gosh, when I ran around Green Lake without stopping, I felt like I could do anything. Which is why it was so timely when, the following Sunday, my pastor made this announcement to our church:
“I’m trying to get a team together to run a 1/2 or full marathon in November so we can all feel really good about ourselves and brag to all our friends and finally prove that we are superior to others.”
At least that’s what I heard, but apparently that’s not what she said. She actually said, “I’m trying to get a team together to raise money for World Vision as they provide clean water to people in Africa.” But I didn’t hear that because it violated my core belief that it was pretentious to raise money while training for a half marathon. “If I’m going to raise money for World Vision, I’ll just do it,” I told myself. “It shouldn’t be connected to my personal fitness goals.”
My pastor spent the next few weeks reminding us that some people don’t have access to clean water. Some of those people are children. Children without clean water. It doesn’t seem like it should be possible.
But guess what? Africa is really far away. I don’t know anyone who lacks clean drinking water. Despite such tragedy, I can’t bring myself to raise money for anything so remote from my own life. So, I figure I have two options.
One, I could spend a few years drinking lattes and lamenting the Human Condition (which I plan on doing anyway, btw).
Or, I could joyfully give in to my narcissism, and connect my personal fitness goal to World Vision’s wonderful work in building fresh water wells. I can make it about me.
To get to the whole point of this post: I AM RUNNING A HALF MARATHON TO RAISE MONEY FOR WORLD VISION AS THEY PROVIDE CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO PEOPLE IN AFRICA. I AM ASKING YOU TO DONATE TO WORLD VISION ON MY BEHALF.
I would love to raise $100 per mile, for a total of $1,310. So, you can sponsor me for, say, one mile by donating $100. Then I will think of you for exactly one mile of my run. Or, if you can give $10, I will yell your name into the heavens for that last little sprint at the end. You will have funded my poor broken narcissistic body over the damn finish line.
Here’s where you can donate. And thank you:
http://www.firstgiving.com/christinecanty
(One last thing. When I donate money, I’m always concerned about the integrity of the organization. I have a lot of trust in World Vision… they have been one of only two organizations allowed into certain closed countries because of their excellent work. If you have any questions about them or this project, feel free to call me. I would love to do some research on your behalf.)
