It's on!
I'm very excited to be working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Larimer County to raise as much money as possible to support their great work with local kids and families, through my upcoming Ironman race in Hawaii. The members of Erin Baker’s Triathlon Team have chosen to give back to our communities by supporting the Clubs through the Ironman/Janus Charity Challenge. It's going to add a whole new dimension to our racing as it's not about us, but the kids. Our sponsor, Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods, has worked closely with the Whatcom Boys and Girls club, providing healthy food for the kids at that Clubhouse.
The Larimer Chapter I’ve chosen actually has 3 clubhouses... one each in Fort Collins, Loveland and Wellington, CO. I had heard of the Boys and girls clubs before, but had never really taken the time to learn more about what they are and the work they do. I have been quite blown away with the impact they make for kids who need support the most. Did you know that the cost to attend a Boys and Girls Club is only $5 per year per child? The rest of the money that is required for staff and operating expenses must be raised through sponsorship and donations.
Many of the kids at the Clubhouses are from families who are experiencing challenges of one kind or another. Sometimes they are in need of positive role models, or to be in a safe and supervised environment for part of the day. Most of them receive free or reduced lunches at school. What the Boys and Girls Clubhouse gives them is the means and incentive to bring out the best in themselves. Whether it’s help with schoolwork, opportunities to be introduced to and play sports, to learn new skills in areas like music, art or dance, to have access to technology, or to just be in a place that is accepting and nurturing - the Clubhouses provide that for so many kids.
My fundraising goal is $50,000. I’ve partnered with the Larimer Clubs to help them create a huge event called "Day for Kids" - a fun-filled day of activities and educational events for kids and their families to be held on September 25, 2010 at the Front Range Village in Ft Collins. It’s free for everyone and we invite you to go to our website(click here) to get more details. If you'd like to donate, please be sure to do that through the link in the next paragraph so that we can count it toward the Charity Challenge.
In addition to the "Day for Kids," I am asking friends, family, total strangers, local businesses and everyone I can think of - to donate whatever they can in support of our goal. You can do that online at the link here:
I'm excited to have the opportunity to support the work being done to support these kids in our local communities. On the day before my Ironman in Hawaii, the Janus Charity Challenge will tally up the funds that have been raised by all the athletes who are fundraising for that race. They will add a financial bonus to the totals of the top 5 fundraisers...:
- 1st place fundraiser: $10,000 extra
- 2nd place: $8,000 extra
- 3rd place: $6,000 extra
- 4th place: $4,000 extra
- 5th place: $2,000 extra
In addition, Janus will add $750 to the total donations of the next 30 fundraisers.
It’s my goal to be the top fundraiser at the IM World Championship, so that BGC of Larimer County will receive an ADDITIONAL 10K on top of what we are able to raise for them.
Please consider helping us out with a donation if you are able. We have 7 weeks to get this done. Give early! Give often! The Club, the kids and I thank you so much for your support!
