My Fundraising Goal:
$1,500.00 |
Money Raised to Date:
$1,300.00 |
|
 |
|
| Help Spread Good Health to the World
| Please help me in raising $1500, the amount of a "Joy to the World" collection* for Heifer Project International.
Why Heifer? My family has long been involved in animal husbandry and health. My father and his family were displaced during the Second World War became refugees. Even in America, my mother's family came upon hard times during the Dust Bowl and became displaced persons. They saw the starvation and preventable illness that arises from poor nutrition. As a result of this experience and the tales that, we, the fortunate children have heard, I am committed to a sustainable solution to hunger. I believe that the Heifer Project has direct connection to a solution to hunger in the US and abroad. (Yes, Heifer International has numerous projects located in the US, including Maine, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arizona, and Oregon.)
In January 2008, I pledged to complete three triathlons in January to raise money for Heifer. I needed this goal to inspire me to keep going. For an overweight office-worker, three events was seen as crazy. In September, I completed my sixth event. The distance has varied for the courses, but most have been Sprint distance of roughly 1/2-3/4 km swim, 20km bicycle ride, and ends with a 5km run - over 16 miles altogether, all in one go. My final race was my most difficult, a near mile in the ocean off the coast of Maine followed by a 40km bike around the Freeport, Maine area. I'm hooked - I have already begun selecting races for next year.
I have been training and planning for success, training with Trifury, a local triathlon club, plus world-class coaches, a training plan that includes nutrition strategy, and lots of early morning workouts. My child has learned to love the jogging stroller. I have biked in the rain, run in the heat, swam in frigid waters. I have never been more thankful to have an office with a shower.
However, real success isn't measured in winning, it's being able to compete. I wouldn't be able to do even one endurance event if I didn't have good food, a good job, and good health. This is what I would like to spread to the world. Heifer Project has been sharing those blessings with others for more than 60 years through their gifts of agriculture and training. They further encourage the "passing on the gift" through good husbandry that can allow an entire community to benefit through the initial gift of just a few animals.
Please join me in helping others to success by making a donation to help communities in need around the world. To make a donation, enter the amount in the text box to the left and press continue. This will take you to a secure credit card from where you can complete your donation.
For more information about the Heifer Project, click on the links below. If you do decide to make a donation, please be sure to come back to this page so that it can count towards my goal. (Not a penny comes to me, ever.)
If you would like to read race reports (gory details), visit my blog at http://veronicamorris.wordpress.com and click on the links on the right under 2008 Race Schedule/Reports.
Thanks!
Veronica
*The Joy To The World collection includes two sheep, four goats, a heifer and two llamas. These animals mean new hope in the lives of the hardworking poor families who receive them. Cow and goats' milk is full of nutrients and your animals will provide a family with daily provisions of vitamin-rich milk. Llamas and their kin, the alpaca, provide Heifer families with invaluable sources of transportation, income and wool, which is prized for making blankets, ponchos, carpet and rope. |
|
