Running for Mom

It has been 6 years since we lost mom. This will be our fifth year running for her, and we've raised over $100,000 to support causes she loved. Her legacy lives on in her children, grandchildren, dad, and the lives of so many people that she helped.

We'll be completing the same 4 x 4 x 24 challenge - running 4km every 4 hours for 24 hours. We'll be starting at 4am on July 30th, and finish some time after midnight on July 31st. I will be joined by my brothers, Adam and Jay. And a special update this year, a few of mom's grandchildren will be joining us for at least one 4km leg of the run.

We've been involved with Compassion for years - I remember it seeming like a Pen Pal when I was a kid, and mom would encourage us to write and connect with our sponsored kids on the other side of the world. It's an incredible organization with an A+ rating, with 83 cents on every dollar going to children and families living in extreme poverty across the world.

Just a couple weeks ago, we received a Compassion letter from a sponsored child, and my son, Easton, asked "Why do we give money to these people money?". I had asked mom the same question about 30 years ago... to which she replied with her famous smile "Because we can"... and I was able to repeat those same 3 words to Easton that have stuck with me for decades. These special "mom moments" happen frequently, often with memories I think have been forgotten, and it's just another way her legacy and values living on through the lives she touched.

Below are the two Compassion causes we'll be raising money for this year. We worked with Compassion to hand-select these causes for mom. She was a fierce entrepreneur, and also supported various organizations to help lift women and children out of poverty and sexual exploitation.

This year your donations will be 3X further as we'll be matching every donation up to $5,000, and Caddle will also match up to $5,000.

Business Training in Kenya

In the Likii community, located within Kenya’s Central Rift Valley region, most children and their families live in extreme poverty. Caregivers have struggled to establish meaningful careers. Your generous gift will enable our local church partner in the Likii community of Kenya to provide 40 caregivers with business and entrepreneurship training, business grants & mentorship so they can earn a sustainable income and provide for their families.

Moms and Babies in Ecuador

Your gift will enable our local church partner in Otavalo to help 15 moms and babies to secure access to pre- and postnatal care, skilled birth attendants and medical intervention when necessary. Mothers are visited in their homes monthly by a Survival specialist, who offers education in prenatal care and early child-rearing as well as one-on-one biblical mentoring. At church-based group activities moms learn skills to earn an income and gain vital knowledge including basic literacy.