Joe Riley: Inspirational Glutton (for Punishment)

Even if you’ve never been much of a runner yourself, you likely know someone who’s run a 5k to raise money for a good cause. Perhaps they even ran a marathon. Well, how about five marathons? Better still, how about five consecutive marathons in FIVE DAYS? What’s that? You don’t know any masochists, especially not ones with such wanton disregard for their own toenails?

Well, meet Joe Riley, a 26-year old English teacher, poet, endurance runner and all-around stand-up LAD who hails from Winchester, Hampshire, in southern England. He also happens to be a tireless advocate in the fight against Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS).

Between April 16th and the 20th, Riley will run five marathons on his home turf in Winchester. He will run through all five city gates, and hopes to drum up local support by starting and finishing the marathons from his favorite pubs (a very sound strategy, in this blogger’s opinion). The routes are currently being set and will be posted on his website (justgiving.com/5in5jr) soon.

Riley’s goal is to raise at least £1000 ($1635 USD) this year for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), a non-profit based in the UK which aims to save lives by providing information about SADS, support for those affected, and screenings for young people. This isn’t the first time Joe has endeavored to cripple himself in pursuit of a worthy cause. In July of 2013, Joe ran four marathons in four days and successfully raised over £800 ($1,340 USD) for CRY.

Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome refers to a group of relatively rare diseases that affect the electrical functioning of the heart. Each week, 12 young people in the UK die suddenly as a result of un-diagnosed heart conditions. CRY promotes heart screening programs for youth between the ages of 14-35, funds medical research, supports young people diagnosed with cardiac conditions, and offers counseling to families of youth affected by SADS.

Riley will run five marathons in five days in memory of Alex Watley, who passed away from cardiac complications in December 2011 at age 23. He greatly respects the way Alex's family has continued to campaign for public awareness of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, and was inspired by them to make a tangible contribution in the fight against SADS.

“CRY does amazing work for all of those affected by this ailment,” said Riley, “so they were the natural choice, as far as where contributions will do the most good.”

So, what's his secret to running multiple, back-to-back marathons? A typical pre-race breakfast includes a bowl of porridge (my in-depth research reveals that’s “oatmeal” to us Yanks), two bananas, a bacon sandwich, a strong cup of Italian coffee (“So I can, ah, clear things out before I start running, you understand…listen, do we need to be talking about this?”) and a final cup of Earl Grey tea. Quoth Riley: “The British Empire was built on tea, and if you think I’m running 5 marathons without any, then you are very much mistaken.”  

Riley says that the key to getting up for another trek the following day is recovery: he gives his body more fuel, usually in the form of grilled chicken or steak—anything heavy in protein to repair muscles—and lots of sleep. While beer is not technically classified as a ‘recovery’ sports drink, Riley prefers to end his post-race feed with a pint of Fuller's Bengal Lancer IPA (these marathons do end in the storied pubs of Winchester, after all) and the world’s most guilt-free slice of pie.

The nagging voice in his head is what drives him to put one foot in front of the other; Joe says his mind is his worst enemy and yet his staunchest ally. He shared a favorite quote from Lucio in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure that illustrates his sheer determination: "Our doubts are traitors that make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."

Fundraising for Cardiac Risk in the Young has taught Joe “to be thankful for what you've got and to always enjoy the little things in life, because they're not always as permanent as you would like.”

Please donate whatever you can on his fundraising page justgiving.com/5in5jr.

Proceeds will go towards funding screenings and services for families and individuals affected by the ailment.

If you're in England and want to join him on the route as a runner or cyclist, contact him at [email protected]. Please cheer Joe on in person at the marathons or virtually through twitter @5in5jr.

Post by Katherine Garcia & Steve Hirst.

Thunder star forward Kevin Durant is giving back to his community in a big time of need, donating $1 million to the Red Cross for disaster relief.

Help Stop Violence Against Women! UN Women NYC Fundraiser - three hour open bar, treats, djs, photo booth and an epic raffle drawing with 30+ prizes! Thursday, May 9th - Hotel Chantelle http://4thannualsayno.eventbrite.com

Join ADL in our Centennial Year as we Imagine a World Without Hate™, one where the hate crimes against Martin Luther King, Anne Frank, Matthew Shepard and others did not take place. Support us in the fight against bigotry and extremism by sharing this inspirational video and taking the pledge to create a world without hate at http://www.adl.org/imagine.

A Lesson on Kindness

During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz.  I breezed through the questions until I read the last one:  "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"  Surely this was a joke.  I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name?  I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.  Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade.  "Absolutely," the professor said.  "In your careers, you will meet many people.  All are significant.  They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello."  I've never forgotten that lesson.  I also learned her name was Dorothy. 

                                                                                          ~Joann C. Jones

Anyone who can gift $500 million is sure to make headlines and honestly, few of us could even hope to match or even comprehend Zuckerberg's wealth. But it's not the size of his gift that's so inspiring; it's the example that he sets for the rest of our generation. It's the philanthropic rallying cry for all of us to give back now and over the course of our lives, not just at the end of our careers.

From The Changing Face of Philanthropy, read more: http://huff.to/Ui1Fzq

TripAdvisor is putting up $250,000 of its own money to allow 10,000 people who leave a review on its site to allocate a $25 Kiva microloan to a fledgling entrepreneur in the country they visited.

16 Days of Activism

According to country data up to 70% of women experience violence in their lifetime.

The UN Trust Fund is dedicated to addressing violence against women in all its forms via grants, more info.

A few years back, somewhere between a half-decade and a decade ago, I fell in love with being outside and all the exciting challenges and dreams associated with it. It didn’t happen instantly. I was raised to be an indoor kid, and trust me, it was hard to shake off. One time, I got separated from the group and lost for hours and decided I’d never hike again. Another time, while trying to climb my first mountain at age 20 (in the same trip as depicted in the picture above) I hit a mental barrier and gave up about halfway to the summit and figured I should go back to jogging on a treadmill. But the outdoors kept calling me back, and now a few years later I’ve stood on summits of varying heights in the desert and in the jungle and on snowshoes, finished a marathon, and (in a moment of particularly strong East Coast pride) made it over the Devil’s Path. Nothing too hyperbolic, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made.

I don’t think I would have ever tapped into that desire to get outside and explore and push my personal limits without a few very important female role models along the way. So I’m proud to announce on this inaugural Giving Tuesday that I’m participating in a big and ambitious project with a group called Ladies Trekking. They’re a grassroots group of women in Europe who have accomplished a personal goal to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania as well as give back to local communities — specifically through education, and for girls in particular. For the past few years they’ve organized “Ladies Trekking Weeks” in which women split their time between mountaineering and getting to know local villages and schools on a firsthand basis so that they can give back in the most effective and accountable ways.

This year, Ladies Trekking Week 2013 is going global, and a handful of women from around the world will be joining them in their annual Kilimanjaro climb as “ambassadors.” Including me! And my friend Cheryl Yeoh! And in advance of our trip in late February, Cheryl and I are teaming up on a joint fundraiser to support Ladies Trekking’s goals of adventure and philanthropy.

You can donate right here.

Our fundraising goals are twofold. One, we’re raising money for Ladies Trekking’s nonprofit arm, the Impatiens Kilimanjari Foundation, which is supplying classrooms in rural Tanzania with textbooks and school supplies and is paying the tuition to send high-achieving Maasai girls to secondary school. Two, we’re also raising money to publish a book tentatively titled Dreamers and Doers, a set of essays by women from around the world who have climbed Kilimanjaro and the personal “mountains” they had to conquer along the way. We hope that through the publication of this book, more girls and women around the world will be inspired to set big personal goals, experience the outdoors, and realize the many ways in which they can help the communities where they climb. (Your donations are not going toward our travel costs.)

In my time spent outdoors, be it on a slope or on the water, I’ve met so many amazing women with incredible stories about their personal struggles and how they have connected with a sense of challenge and accomplishment in the outdoors that gave them newfound confidence. Some of them feel a deep and spiritual connection between their desire to explore and protect the outdoors and their roles as mothers. Others are regaining their footing after trauma and tragedy. Others, like me, see adventure as a way to get past barriers that we were brought up to think were non-negotiable. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of a project that is gathering the stories of women in the hopes of inspiring others, while bringing us all together in realization that the places where we climb and accomplish these tremendous personal goals are places where we can provide support and inspiration as well. I’d love to see Ladies Trekking’s spirit of connecting outdoors-loving women with good causes in the places where they climb take root in other parts of the world, too. But for now, it’s just the beginning.

There are many, many other worthy causes seeking support on Giving Tuesday (New Yorkers, please also consider donating to things that are close to home) and we are aware that budgets are tight (us included!) We are happy with the most modest of donations, or even just words of encouragement and some help spreading the news about our campaign.

Over the next couple of months I plan to post a lot of updates about the physical and mental preparation for traveling to Africa and climbing a mountain (I’m a little nervous about the altitude already) and also to thank the people who have already encouraged me so much along the way. If you’ve read this far, I already owe you a thank-you. I’m looking forward to connecting with more of you and learning from everyone as this incredible experience unfolds.

********

Boring stuff about taxes (since somebody was going to ask). I’ve been in touch with Ladies Trekking for a couple of months now, and working with their team (Hi, Katrina!) has been very inspiring. They’re really small, and they’re working with hikers, donors, and supporters around the world. Cheryl and I have been helping them make their fundraising process U.S.-friendly, but it’s extremely hard for a small European nonprofit to earn full 501(c)3 status in the States — they’d need to launch a new U.S. arm with separate leadership, and they don’t have the resources for that. Your donations through our page on Fundly will go straight to Impatiens Kilimanjari minus a transaction fee that helps keep Fundly afloat. It unfortunately is not tax-deductible. If you want to make an (extremely generous!) donation of over $500, however, Ladies Trekking and Impatiens Kilimanjari have gone through an accreditation process with CAFamerica, and larger donations can consequently be routed through CAFamerica to make them tax-deductible. Please contact me for details.

(Untitled Feminist Project) invites survivors and allies to our second speak out.

The speakout will be held on Sunday December 9th at 7 (the doors will be open at 6) at the YWCA, 30 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn, New York

87-year-old doctor still charges $5 a visit

Patients line up early outside his office just off the town square, waiting quietly for the doctor to arrive, as he has done for nearly 60 years.

Read the complete story.

Please watch this short video about the REAL Awards - honoring healthworkers in developing countries, from Save the Children and the Frontline Healthworkers Coalition. Learn more at theREALawards.com !

Minimal Posters - Six Women Who Changed Science. And The World.

Tomorrow, September 12, 2012 join the UN Women Metro NY Chapter for a screening of The Invisible War and a panel discussion at Barnard College.

From Oscar®- and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Twist of Faith) comes The Invisible War, a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America's most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. 

Panel: The discussion will be moderated by Catherine Sameh from the Barnard Center for Research on Women. Panelists include: Retired Brigadier General Loree Sutton and Professor Helen Benedict.

Special Guest: Nancy Schwartzman will present the "Circle of 6" Sexual Assault Safety App.

Location: Barnard College, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

What if great social organizations could grow the way companies do? Could we solve our social problems more effectively if we improved the way we finance them? As nonprofits, however, they are like Ferraris on a dirt track. What if we could figure out how to help high-performing organizations get on the highway? Could success become more the rule and less the exception?

The Affordable Care Act, including its individual mandate that virtually all Americans buy health insurance, is constitutional. There were not five votes to uphold it on the ground that Congress could use its power to regulate commerce between the states to require everyone to buy health insurance. However, five Justices agreed that the penalty that someone must pay if he refuses to buy insurance is a kind of tax that Congress can impose using its taxing power. That is all that matters. Because the mandate survives, the Court did not need to decide what other parts of the statute were constitutional, except for a provision that required states to comply with new eligibility requirements for Medicaid or risk losing their funding. On that question, the Court held that the provision is constitutional as long as states would only lose new funds if they didn’t comply with the new requirements, rather than all of their funding.

Your Daily Dose of Joy: In Plain English