You probably landed on this page because of something on social media or something you heard on a podcast (Buddies!), and I'm genuinely grateful you made it this far. So before we go any further, I want to be clear about one thing: supporting this fundraiser is not about supporting me or getting me to a marathon. I already have my entry. I already have my shoes. I'm already training.
You're here because of Girls on the Run, and honestly, I can't think of a better reason.
If you don't know GOTR, here's the short version. Girls on the Run is a national nonprofit that uses a research-based curriculum to help girls in 3rd through 8th grade build confidence, develop healthy habits, and learn the kind of life skills that stick with them long after the program ends. Every season wraps with a celebratory 5K, and that 5K is where the magic becomes impossible to miss.
Our family has been involved with GOTR for years, and what I have watched them instill in girls across so many neighborhoods and so many backgrounds is just beautiful. I've stood on my own street, outside my own house, with a handful of volunteers cheering on the local elementary school chapter as they ran past. I've also been at the rowdiest, most joyful 5K I have ever witnessed, a sea of people screaming for young women who, for many of them, were being publicly affirmed for exactly who they are for the very first time. I’m not crying, you’re crying
So I'm asking you to give under my name because anything we can do collectively to support girls everywhere is worth it. And selfishly, having run a half marathon many years ago, I know there are going to be a lot of 5 a.m. mornings when the rest of the house is sleeping in and I'm going to need to drag myself out of bed. Knowing you're here, high-fiving me from wherever you are, is going to help more than you think.
Thank you for adding your voice to the sea of people who know the value of girls, and thank you for kicking this old boy down the road with your support.
—Eddie
