Guest post from Chris...
Hello I'm Chris Yates and you may be at this page because you're one of my friends or family, business associates or someone I'm close to recommended helping me out.
In a nutshell, here's the story. I'm running 30k (18.6 miles) on October 3rd for charity as part of my 30th birthday. My goal is to raise $3,000 which will go to send 6 kids who are fighting cancer to Camp Mak-A-Dream in Montana for one week each. I'm hoping for your financial support to meet this goal.
Why I'm Running 30K for Charity
On September 6th I was lying in bed thinking about my upcoming 30th birthday. I had this nagging feeling that with a little more than a month until my birthday, I needed to do something challenging; both physically and mentally. I also wanted whatever I decided to do to be a memorable experience; something I could tell my kids about later in life.
The next day I started looking around and asking my friends for ideas on what to do. I came across something called the Blue Mountain 30K (more details on that below) which seemed like a great fit since it's my 30th birthday. So, I registered to run in the race that same day.
I also thought that to make the race more memorable, I should do it for charity. There is a great charity here called Camp Mak-A-Dream (more details on that below) that runs an event called “Ride Around The Pioneers in One Day” where bikers raise funds for Camp-Mak-A-Dream based on how far they ride. I figured the same model would work for my run.
Now, I do have to say this isn't going to be an easy task for me. First, I've never run over 18 miles at one time. Second, I haven't even regularly exercised since before my son was born (almost two years). Also, $3,000 is a lot of money and it's going to take my entire network (you included) to raise it. BUT... it's a worthy goal and it's going to be worth it both for me, you, and for the 6 kids it will send to Camp Mak-A-Dream.
More About the Blue Mountain 30K
The Blue Mountain 30K is a cross-country run that winds through one of the recreations areas near where I live in Missoula, MT. It takes place at 8:30 A.M., Sunday, October 3, 2010. It consists of 30 Kilometers (18.6 Miles) of mostly single track dirt trail. There is a 3,600 ft elevation gain and drop which makes this a very challenging run. You can find out more about it at
http://www.runnersedgemt.com/BlueMtn30k/
More About Camp Mak-A-Dream
Camp Mak-A-Dream provides a medically supervised, cost-free Montana experience, in an intimate community setting, for children, young adults and families affected by cancer. The campers are able to leave the difficulties of a life affected by cancer behind, and replace it by unexpected delights: comfort, friendship, security, achievement, serenity—to name just a few.
It is located 65 miles east of Missoula, Montana, in Gold Creek, a small, peaceful, ranching community at the foot of the Flint Mountains. You can find out more about Camp Mak-A-Dream at
http://www.campdream.org
About Your Donation
All of your donation will go towards my $3,000 goal which will be split into 6 $500 “Camperships”. A $500 Campership ensures one camper can go to Camp Mak-A-Dream for a full week completely free. We'll even get to hear directly from the camper we have sponsored following his/her time at Camp.
Children's Oncology Camp Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. Contributions are tax-deductible as allowable by law. Tax ID #81-0472959.
How to Donate
My thought is for everyone to make donations by the Kilometer that I'll be running ($30, $300, etc.) but any amount helps! I got things started with a $300 donation from my company. If you donate, I'll let you know how the run went and also send you over the stories from the campers as I get them. If you have any questions, please call me at (406) 360-0486. Please donate before October 3rd (race day). You have a few options on donating:
Donate at this page
https://www.firstgiving.com/chrisyates by clicking the “Sponsor Me Now” link. Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.
Mail me a check payable to “Children's Oncology Camp Foundation”. My address is:
Chris Yates
6012 Hobson Ln
Missoula, MT 59803
Next time you see me, hand me the cash, check, money order, or any other form of payment and I'll make sure it gets to the right hands.
Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!