It’s Wednesday, so I’ll give you my weekly quick rundown of what’s going on with Operation Jack. It’s spring break for my kids and I’m kind of taking a tiny bit of a break mentally. This relaxing thing is nice, but I need to get back on track. On the bright side, though, I’m a world-record holder now, and I have a photo to prove it!
Real quick, just in case this is your first time here, I’m a marathon runner and a father of three. My middle child, Jack, is severely autistic, and I wanted to do something to use my running and make a difference in his honor. So, I’m running 60 marathons this year (well, trying to, at least) to help raise money and awareness for a charity I really like called Train 4 Autism. I named this endeavor Operation Jack in his honor.
Train 4 Autism helps people raise money for the autism-related charity of their choice while training for event, such as a race or a triathlon. I really believe in the model, because it’s very similar to Team In Training, which has raised about $1 billion over the past two decades. There’s room in the market for Train 4 Autism, because there isn’t a big autism-related organization like this. We’re at the grassroots level right now, but I’m hoping that Operation Jack can help provide some of the boost we need. So far, we’re doing well, with new chapters popping up all over the country!
Weekly Contest Winner!
I have a contest every week where you guess my time with a small donation (for instance, if you think I’m going to run a 3:15, you donate $3.15) and the winner is the person who comes the closest without bidding under. If I choke, and run slower than everybody’s guesses, then the person who came the closest wins. Oh, the prize is your choice of an Operation Jack t-shirt, tech shirt or sweatshirt.
For the second straight week, I choked and ran slower than all of the predictions. I thought I was going to be down in that 3:15 range and I ended up going 3:23. But, somebody has to win. And this week, it’s Dina Williams. She’s played every week, so I’m glad she won.
I’m not sure if I’m going to do the contest this week. I have two races, so I don’t know what I would do — pick one of them? Make folks make their guess for both times combined? That would be a little bit more expensive for everybody. So, I’m kind of thinking I’ll pass on the contest this week. I might change my mind by tomorrow.
April Donation Push
This is a long year and I’m quickly learning that fundraising is extremely difficult! My goal for the year is to raise $100,000. So far, I think we’re at somewhere around $15,000 or $16,000. We’re a touch behind, but still doing raising funds at a fairly decent rate.
This month, I’m running seven marathons in seven states, so I figured I’d start a campaign focusing on the number 7. I figure a $7 donation is pretty easy to obtain, so I’m pushing for those. Just like everything else with Operation Jack, a little bit of help from a lot of people can go a long ways! I spelled out details in my April update I sent to everybody. It’s pretty simple … just read that page, and if you’re on Facebook, post a link to it with a tiny explanation on your wall. Super simple stuff!
Cleveland Marathon
I just got an email from the Cleveland Marathon. If you’re planning on running that on May 16, they’re running out of space in a hurry in the half-marathon. There’s information on the event here, including a charity code to use to get a discounted entry.
I’m A World Record Holder!
About a month ago, I saw an article about how the Angels were giving a way Snuggie-type blankets on April 6 and were going to set a world record for the most people covering up with blankets in one place at one time. I posted a link to the article on my Facebook page, complaining that I thought was the cheesiest promotion I’d ever seen.
And then a friend of mine commented that he thought it was a great idea that his kids would love. And then I thought about my 8 1/2-year-old son Benjamin, who’s really into reading the Guinness Book of World Records right now. So I told him to tack a couple of tickets on to the order. I told Benjamin last week that we’d be going to a ballgame AND getting a free blanket AND setting a real world record and he just about jumped out of his chair.
So, last night, we went.
My little goofball.
Lots of red.
They even played a baseball game!
There, it’s official.
Maybe on Saturday, I’ll turn to the runner next to me at the start line, and say, “I hate to brag, but I’m a world-record holder.” Yeah, or maybe not?
OK, That’s All For Today
Enjoy your Wednesday, see you tomorrow!
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