Running For Good: Part 1

People run for a lot of reasons.  It can function as cheap(ish) therapy.  It's great exercise.  It's a way to get out and meet people when you're in a new place.  But it's also a mechanism by which you can do a lot of good in the world.  This is the first in a series of posts all about how to change the world - for the better - by lacing up your shoes and going for a run.  

Part 1 - Charity Miles

Charity Miles is an app, for both iPhone and Android, that lets you turn the miles you run/walk/bike into monetary donations to a charity of your choice.  There are a few limitations - namely, the charity of your choice has to come from their list of charity partners.  But, with that limitation noted, the rest is all up to you.  Large corporations will sponsor Charity Miles, like Chobani recently did, and give them a bunch of money.  Those funds are held in a big floating donation cloud (finance isn't my strong suit), waiting for someone to open the Charity Miles app and go for a run.  You choose your charity, choose whether you'll be running indoors or out, and then get your run on.  If you're competitive, or a fan of group participation, you can form a team and see how many miles you and your friends can run for charity.  

If you're having trouble choosing a charity, then you can pick a different one each time you go out.  Clicking on a charity gives you the option to immediately run for them, or to click their name again and read a short description of what they do.  I have all the charity partners listed at the end of this post, so you can give the list a quick perusal.  

Are you interested, but not really into cardio?  Even if you don't walk, run, or bike for charity, you can still donate!  The minimum distance to qualify for a donation is one tenth of a mile - 0.1 miles is all you need!  Use the app while you walk to work.  Park at the far end of the parking lot and use the app while you stroll from your car into your apartment, or the grocery store, or the bookshop.  If you logged one tenth of a mile every day, just walking to and from your house, you would give a bit over $9.00 to charity in a year. Maybe that doesn't sound like a lot to you, but imagine if everyone reading this post did that.  Those donations would add up fast!  

Breaking down those donation amounts for you, here's how it adds up:  For each mile you walk or run, $0.25 will be donated to your charity.  If you're into pedaling, $0.10 will be donated for every mile you bike.  And that's it.  You pay nothing.  Your charity gets money.  You get fit.  Everyone wins!!  Plus, Charity Miles does a ton of giveaways.  Sign up for their email list to be notified when new giveaways are happening, and you could win a sweet hoodie like mine!  

That's me trying to fake like I'm running in my kitchen.  But I look amazing in my new Pace On Earth hoodie, even with the ridiculous pose.  

So get the app and get out there!  Which charity will you choose?

Charity Miles charities:

- American Diabetes Association

- Habitat for Humanity 

- Stand Up To Cancer

- Operation Smile

- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

- Alzheimer's Association

- Girl up

- Save The Children

- Feeding America

- Charity: Water

- Shot@LIfe

- World Wildlife Fund

- The Michael J. Fox Foundation

- Wounded Warrior Project

- ASPCA

- (RED)

- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

- Autism Speaks

- Every Mother Counts

- Team Red, White & Blue

- Girls On The Run

- DoSomething.Org

- The Nature Conservancy

- Pencils of Promise

- The World Food Programme

- Special Olympics

- National Park Foundation

- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

- Team For Kids

- She's The First

- Soles4Souls

- Nothing But Nets

- Back On My Feet

- The Partnership For A Healthier America

- Achilles International

- The Ironman Foundation

- Vision Spring