READY TO DO SOMETHING GREAT?
SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
Although we’ve been quiet here on the blog lately, and sporadic on social media, we have been busy behind the scenes planning our end of year activities leading up to our January 2018 campaign. At the beginning of this month, we opened registration for our 11th annual 5k run/walk in Troy, Ohio, the World Race for Hope Troy. You can register for the event on our RunSignUp page here. Prices go up in mid-October and again in mid-September. We appreciate our long-time sponsors Concrete Sealants and Up and Running for supporting our race again this year. Proceeds from the Troy 5k will go towards anti-trafficking initiatives in the Dayton area, including supporting our local Rescue and Restore Coalition, Abolition Ohio, and Oasis House. A new option for the race this year is getting free registration if you commit to raising $100. Although fundraising is optional for participants, getting those funds above and beyond proceeds from the race help us to have an even bigger impact in the Dayton area.
We realize that getting up early on New Year’s Day to run or walk 3.1 miles does not appeal to everybody. Even if you live in the Dayton area, participating in a 5k in the winter may be out of the question. The Virtual 5k option is our attempt to reach those people outside of the Dayton area, as well as those who want to support the cause, but will do the 5k on their terms. When you sign up for the virtual race, you can help Free To Run spread awareness of human trafficking by sharing your participation with your friends, family and co-workers, and then running or walking a 5k anytime, anywhere during the month of January. If you choose to purchase a shirt, we will mail it to you by end of December if you registered prior to 12/15. Any registrations with a shirt purchase after that will have the shirts mailed in January. Registration for the virtual race is through the same Troy race registration page.
Why is January such an important month for Free To Run Foundation? The first and most obvious reason is that January is recognized as National Slavery Prevention and Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Like many other human rights and social justice issues, human trafficking deserves attention throughout the year, and there are other days and events that generate increased focus. January, and New Year’s Day in particular, is a time to start fresh, reset your priorities, and focus on making positive changes in the year ahead. This January, we want to reach more people across the country, perhaps even outside of this country, and challenge them to Do Something Great. Join our campaign to help shine a light on social justice and human rights issues, including human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, education and empowerment for girls around the world, and many other issues (unfortunately there’s no shortage of human rights issues around the world.) Signing up for the Do Something Great Challenge is free, and like the 5k and Virtual Race, fundraising is option. Everybody who signs up will receive a Live A Great Story sticker to encourage sharing our campaign on social media and inspiring others. There will also be fundraising incentives, and we hope to announce a very special incentive later this month. There are two ways to sign up for the challenge: through our Troy/Virtual Race registration page, or join the campaign on Crowdrise. In the coming weeks and months, we will highlight some of our charity partners that will benefit from our campaign, and share some different ways you can raise awareness and make a difference. We will also publish a list of any events planned by our supporters that you can use to accomplish the challenge. Feel free to send suggestions to us!