Marathon Motivation

Congratulations to all individuals who completed the Chicago Marathon! Do you know anyone who ran in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday?  I have quite a few individuals near and dear to my heart that were victorious in completing the 26.2 miles!  Each individual I personally know who competed in the event were not running for their own good but for the good of others.  Below I have highlighted each organization that my friends represented in the Chicago Marathon to educate and inspire you. Have you ever considered the possibility of partnering with an organization committed to changing lives through the venue of endurance events?  I can guarantee your life will be changed!
Click on the images below to view the website of each organization.

My friend, Dan, ran the Marathon as a commitment to THE HALL STEPS FOUNDATION. 
 
Founded in late 2009 by professional runners Ryan and Sara Hall, The Hall Steps Foundation is a non-profit movement to fight global poverty through better health. Our goal is to build a community and provide each member an opportunity to take their own STEPS toward relieving suffering and helping the poor rise out of poverty. We are a lifestyle philanthropy that encourages our supporters to make a personal commitment to their own health and wellness, using that as a catalyst to ignite change and make a difference in the lives of others.

If you have followed my "Journey with Jordan" posts you have been introduced to Team In Training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Jordan's mother, Andrea completed the Chicago Marathon on Sunday with Jordan's two brothers, Wes and Kyle.  It was a celebratory race honoring the milestone of Jordan being 5 years out of treatment and 'cured'!

The video below showcases Jordan's journey of life. Jordan was one of the special speakers at this year's Team In Training Pasta Dinner Saturday evening before the race.  It is an incredible blessing for my husband, my sister and myself to be featured in a few of the photos.  We are truly inspired by this amazing family and their story.

Team World Vision

 Our church, NorthRidge, partnered with Team World Vision and had 250+ individuals commit to participate in the Chicago Marathon and fundraise to bring clean water to Zambia, Africa.  The team goal was to raise $500,000 and they achieved it and then some...like an addition $30,000 beyond their initial goal!!! The money raised will bring clean water to 10,000 people and make a positive influence on the generations to come.  Yeah God!  I personally know some of the team members and I admire the devotion and discipline they exemplified throughout their training.  Just as I mentioned above; they made a commitment to change the lives of others and through it all, their life changed as well.

 Pastor Sean, who officiated my wedding, ran the Chicago Marathon as a commitment to Share Your Soles. 
 Share Your Soles began after Mona Purdy traveled through Central America and discovered that the people did not have protective wear for their feet. She committed to collecting shoes and since that day, Share Your Soles has donated over tens of thousands shoes. Share Your Soles is not affiliated with any government, church, political group or other organization. We do not claim to know the causes of poverty throughout the world. We only know it exists, and we do what we can to help. We are a growing group of people who think it's all pretty simple: by giving whatever you can, maybe just an hour or two each month, it's easy to become involved and change the world.  They believe "We can't walk in their shoes...let them walk in ours."