Make-A-Wish: Supporting wishes one mile at a time

I had seen first hand, as my step-dad slowly succumb to brain cancer, what these kids, people, humans in dire medical conditions struggled with daily.  My heart was burden and became heavy during that first visit to him in the isolated wing of the hospital.  

I also got to witness a moment of inspiration and delight as volunteers from Make A Wish came to make a wish come true.    

We, I, often struggle from time to time with the conundrum of "there must be something I can do."

I remembered my experience after his death later that fall off 2015 and donated some money to my local Make A Wish chapter.  

After receiving a personal thank you from a young girl locally, I promised to myself I would do more. Someone somewhere took time to hand write a thank you note directly to me, as monies from my donation went directly to her wish locally (or so they said / appeared).

My heart was officially touched, as I remembered the burden from those hospital visits not so long ago.  I also remembered my time working with a non-profit to help kids in my younger days, and I knew I could do more.  So quietly I said to myself that I would donate a dollar for every mile in 2016 to the AZ Make A Wish (AZMAW) foundation. This is what I can do.  RUN!

At the time I had not considered the ‪#‎run365‬ or the ‪#‎run1000‬ mile in 2016 challenges, but a friend would introduce a steak challenge that would inspire me to steak the entire year for a cause.  But because I'm running more does not void the promise I made to myself quietly.

I'm publicly sharing my goal  to contribute $1.00 for every mile that I run!  I've officially made my first contribution for January miles in the total of $130.06.

Follow me on my journey, help me help these kids wishes come true as they fight through their life journey.

For example, Frando Escamilla (pictured above) wished to be a bat boy for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  After finally finishing his last chemotherapy treatment for the cancer that he had been fighting for two years.  The Arizona Make-A-Wish arranged for Frando to spend two days with the Arizona Diamond backs.  He was able to practice with the team, have lunch with the team and learn his job before the first game.  Frando even threw out the first pitch and stood on the line during the singing of the National Anthem. 

Kids like Frando are the reason I established a Make-A-Wish® fundraising page. I believe that a Make-A-Wish experience can change everything for a child with a life-threatening medical condition.

Kids deserve an experience to give them a glimpse of what life can hold besides medical treatments and worry. Providing wishes are a way to free them, if only temporarily from their worries. And it will always help to find courage and optimism through activities to help them overcome challenges in their future.

If you do nothing more than keep these kids in your prayers and keep me in your prayers that I remain injury free throughout the year so that I can run, run, and run to give another dollar then do so. It is highly appreciated.

If you can do more... then... well... At least consider to match my miles with a penny (yes you can donate a penny through my page (click the "donate to this fundraiser" button to the right and not at the top of the page)). All monies are collected directly by the AZMAW foundation (remember to click link at the right to "donate to this fundraiser" button and not at the top).

My purpose is solely for these kids. If not money, remember you can volunteer your time. Or just cheer me along at my Make A Wish page, linked here and in the menu bar above (or to the side on mobile devices).

Share this page on your pages if you wish. That too is something and is appreciated.  You can make a difference, sometimes it's as simple as spreading the word that there is a need to be filled. 

be good, do you, be the better you you know today.