Help Me Raise Money For The Christmas Box International.

TL;DR

I turned 35 today. To celebrate, I will move my body 35 miles on May 25 with a goal to raise money for The Christmas Box International. I need your help, so I request that you sponsor me with a donation. I really think we can raise $500 over the next two months. Use this secure form and please consider sharing this page so that we can reach as many people as possible.

Read below for more details and follow me on Twitter for updates.

Motivation

I turned 35 today. Three years ago when I turned 32, I realized that I no longer cared about receiving gifts – I get to do science for a living and I have a wonderful wife and two great children (and a dog who is okay, I guess). It seemed far more fun giving to those who work to make life better for others, plus I was raised with the idea that when people invest in you and your dreams, you should act in kind when possible. So, I did a fundraiser for OK Foster Wishes in 2016 and a fundraiser for Teen Recovery Solutions in 2017¹.

I want to do something meaningful for my birthday again this year and I need your help. As I wrote previously, I love walking/jogging/running because it allows me time to think. Once again, I want to raise money for a worthy cause in exchange for a long walk/jog/run. This year I want us to all help The Christmas Box International (CBI). In return, I will make my body move 35 miles on May 25 along the Wasatch Front in beautiful Utah.

Why Christmas Box International?

As many of my friends know, my wife, Larissa, is a board-certified pediatrician who focuses on child-abuse and neglect. She sees the realities of children who are affected by abuse and neglect and is a strong proponent of organizations who work to help these victims overcome their circumstances. One such organization is The Christmas Box International.

The Christmas Box International partners with local, national, and international communities and groups to prevent child abuse and to improve the quality of life for children, teens and young adults who have been abused, neglected, or are facing homelessness. In 2017 alone, they served 10,162 unique children and teens who were victims of abuse, neglect, and homelessness.

Here are the primary services and programs that CBI operates:

• Christmas Box Houses, which offer shelter and food, as well as on-site therapy, medical and dental evaluations, and recreational activities

• Christmas Box Resource Rooms, which are stocked with new donated supplies including clothing, bedding, baby items, school and hygiene kits, books, household items and toys to ease the financial costs on foster families, kinship placements, and at-risk young adults starting their journey into adulthood

• International support to abused and neglected children in countries such as Haiti, Dominican Republic, Colombia, India, Kenya, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Thailand, Nepal and Ghana

Why give to CBI? Because, as their motto says, every child deserves a childhood. I want to help organizations such as CBI so that every child might have the same opportunities as my two boys – to have a happy and healthy childhood filled with love and support.

The Goal

I think we can raise $500 for The Christmas Box International, although any amount will be great. So, 35 miles for my 35th birthday in an effort to raise $500.

Can I Do It?

Yes. You can trust that I will honor my commitment of 35 miles. Why? I completed the 2012 OKC Memorial Marathon with my wife through a combination of walking and jogging. In 2016, my wife and I signed up as a team for Run The Year and I finished with a total of 1,600 miles. I also completed the same fundraisers for my 32nd and 33rd birthdays. More importantly, my friends and family will tell you that I am notorious for setting crazy goals and seeing them through. Life is short. 35 miles is even shorter.

Details

I plan to move my body 35 miles on Saturday, May 25. That will give me around 9 weeks to get in better shape and to collect donations.

I never concern myself with speed. My knees are getting old enough that running the whole time is unlikely. I prefer a deliberate walk and jog. I am not an athlete, so do not expect world record speeds. I estimate that it might take me 8-9 hours. The main thing is that I will finish.

Donate

I need your help to make this happen. Every donation matters, no matter how small. I am collecting donations using Donorbox. You can use the secure form below, or visit my page on their site directly. Donorbox and I specifically do not collect any information about you. You will not be signed up for any lists. Your email is required at donation time only as a means to deliver your receipt. You can even donate anonymously.

Donorbox charges a 1.5% fee when monthly collections surpass $1000. Card transactions are handled through Stripe, which charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. You also have the option of Apple Pay if you visit the campaign page. You have the option to pay this fee at donation time, but are not required to do so. I will pay any fees associated with donations so that the amount people choose to donate will be the amount that CBI receives.

I will present CBI with the final donation following my walk and will provide evidence to everyone, that way you have confidence in your donation. I promise to be 100% transparent in this regard.

Please Share

I would appreciate if you would share a link to this page.

Keep Updated

Follow me on Twitter to keep up with our progress.

Thank You

Your donation will help CBI provide for and empower abused and neglected children in Utah and around the world. I am very thankful for your support.