A New York City Marathon Surprise!

As you all may have heard, ahem…  I am running the New York City Marathon this Fall.  I am running not because I got in through guaranteed entry (I’m not that fast, seriously), or the lottery.  I joined a charity team, and will be running the streets of NYC as part of the James Blake Foundation charity team.

I’ve blogged about it several times, reaching out for donations for this great charity.  As a matter of fact, several bloggers/runners/social media acquaintances have already donated.  THANK YOU!  If you haven’t donated yet, and have either promised me you would, or were “waiting on that next paycheck”, well, now is your time.  Today is Friday.  It’s Fundraising Friday, and it’s payday!  Step up.  Race day is getting closer and closer, and let’s face it, it’s for a good cause.  Be charitable, it will make you feel good heading into the weekend.

https://www.crowdrise.com/jamesblakenyc2015/fundraiser/paullaviska

Yep, click on the link above, it’s pretty easy to donate.

the big news?  The surprise?  Well, get this.  I got an email from the charity group two days ago with some big news.  I was told some time ago that there would be big news coming around the time of the U.S. Open tennis tournament.  The tourney starts next week, so the news came a bit earlier than I expected.

Do you know who that guy is?  It’s James Blake.  Former World #4, tennis player extraordinaire.  Now retired from tennis, but still doing boatloads of charitable work.  It is his Foundation that I am raising money for.  The email I got?  Oh, it was the announcement that James would be running the NYC Marathon!  Very exciting news.  Not only will this generate a lot more attention to his charity, but I’m sure I will get the chance to meet him, if not even run with him some.

He has never run a marathon before, and claims it will probably be the only one he runs.  I may not be able to beat him on the tennis court, but I may be able to best him on the streets of New York!

With this form, how could I not beat him?  Lol

Well, it’s not about who wins, but about raising money for cancer research.  I want to raise as much money as possible so when I hit the streets of NYC, I feel proud and accomplished.  I want to be able to look James in the eyes when we meet knowing that I did everything possible to help.

Please consider a tax deductible donation today.  Thank you!

Running for The James Blake Foundation

I am running the biggest marathon in the world this year!  The TCS New York City Marathon!

This dream only came true because I joined a charity team raising money for cancer research.  Running for a reason, as they say!

I will be running the marathon with the James Blake Foundation charity team.  I began my fundraising quest a couple months ago, and have raised nearly a third of my goal.  I am trying to raise at least $3,000 for this worthy cause, and every donation helps impact the life of cancer patients through incredible research happening everyday.

I kicked off my fundraising efforts with a personal donation of $100, and have so many donors to thank already!  You, too, can help.  Won’t you please consider a donation today?

I am using The Crowdrise fundraising platform, and making a donation is super easy, and all donations are tax deductible.  If you click on the link below, it takes you directly to my personal fundraising page, and your thoughtful gift to this amazing charity is just seconds away.

You can also help me by sharing this blog post on social media.  Share it on your own blog, or on Facebook, or Twitter.  I would really appreciate it, as I want to try to reach as many potential donors as possible.

So?  What do you say?  Will you please make a contribution and share today?

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

Thank you!

I need your help to run the NYC Marathon

Good morning bloggers and readers!

As many of you already know, I am raising money for charity to run the TCS New York City Marathon this year.  It’s really hard to believe that if I make it there, with generous contributions from people like you, I will be celebrating my 20th marathon there!

I am raising money for the James Blake Foundation and have committed to a minimum donation of $3,000.  I kicked off my fundraiser about two weeks ago, and I am about 11% toward my goal.  I started off by donating $100 out of my own pocket, and hope that others out there may be able to help.

Every little bit helps!  Every donation is fully tax deductible, as well.  Won’t you please help me in my efforts to run in New York City this year?

You can donate any amount you wish.  $10 and on up.  Again, every donation will help me reach my goal.

You can click on the following link and be taken directly to my fundraising page.

Fundraising Websites – Crowdrise

Big thanks!

New York City Marathon – Busting the budget

Since becoming a serious runner, I’ve always thought about what it would be like to compete in the New York City Marathon.  Originally from upstate NY, it would mean running in my birth state.  It would mean a celebration, running the five boroughs of NYC would be just incredible.

Running the NYCM means a lot more, however.  Mostly I am talking about the costs associated with running there.  For the average person running NY, that means traveling there, staying there, and the race itself.  Is it a dream of mine?  Sure it is.  Big races are a big attraction to most serious runners.  To be a part of such an iconic race would be just a dream come true.  But, what about the costs involved?  My wallet would take a serious punch if I got in,  can I afford it?

Let’s look at some of the reasonable and average costs associated with running this event.

Entry fee: $255

Airfare: $260

Lodging: $600

Ok, so just to get there, stay there and run it would be a minimum cost of $1,115.  A hefty price tag, for sure.

There are extras though….the schwag at the expo, taxis, how about food?  Ok, so I am really just guessing here, but I am thinking the “extras” could cost about $500.

So, for me, it would cost over $1,600 to run the New York City Marathon.  Unfortunately I cannot afford to run this race, but can still dream about it, can’t I?

I would be interested to hear if anyone has run NYCM, and how much it cost you.  It may help me to make decisions in the future.  Thanks in advance.

Maybe one day I will see the finish line in New York.