going the distance

A few Saturdays ago we "raced" a .1k to help raise money for Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy. Our dear family friends', the Friar's, have two sons, both of whom have this. We participated last year and had a great time. We get to run down the best bar street in the city, and then celebrate by having a beer, or two.

This year, we were ready. We had a team, Team Bald Ego. When I set up the page, it asked me for a goal for our team. Each team member registers for $25 which counts toward the goal. I set the goal for $500 thinking if we asked our parents and friends who live further away we might be able to reach it. We ended up with eleven team members (twelve if you count our goddaughter)!

Not only did our team numbers blow me away, but so did our fundraising. We ended up raising $725!!! I can't thank our friends and family enough. I'm sure you can still donate, click this link to go directly to our team page. Or wait until next year. We've been challenged to raise more money and have a bigger team. (Overall the event raised over $35,000!) Chandra and Jason accidentally recorded Fox 17 news and there we were! Unfortunately, I cannot find that footage online. You can read more about the event, watch a video and look at pictures here. 

I have to say it was fun last year, but this year was a blast! Our team was raring to go. Bill threw down the gauntlet and started talking smack about beating me. Jen, one of our team members, jumped on board and the next thing I knew the three of us were at the front of the pack. The rest of our team held back. They just wanted to make it to the finish line. They had no idea there was going to be an actual race.

Neither did I.

I must say, Bill is pretty fast. He also threw an elbow keeping me from getting a good start. Not that it would have helped me. He was halfway up the street before I even had time to blink. I realized I had lost Jen, so I turned around to find her and she was as far behind me as I was behind Bill. I let her catch up to me and we continued to the finish line.

Bill was easily in the top ten finishers.

As the rest of our team crossed, we cheered for them. Then I realized Heather was crying. She was so overcome with the seriousness of it all, and the hilarity, that she was laugh-crying. That was my favorite moment. We take our .1k serious. And then we laugh about it.

Next year we have to come up with a group costume. This year there was a team of four guys and one girl. The men were dressed in hunting camo and the girl was a deer. They carried her through the entire race, and I'm sure she felt more like a hunted deer as they all pulled her in different directions.

Perhaps next year Bill can control his racing urges and we can stick together as a team. Especially if we have a costume.

We really do have to make it better next year. We were the second largest team there! Plan on joining us or at least donating in 2014. Team Bald Ego will fly again!