Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Exciting News!!!!

And no, I'm not pregnant. I've told people I have some exciting news to share and most of them asked me if I was pregnant. So, let's just get this out of the way, I'm not pregnant. Ask me again mid next year. Haha. So, my exciting new is that I am the newest runner to join the Hope Runs 777 Challenge!! A few weeks ago, I saw TFH's on Hope Runs 777 Challenge and I was hooked. I had to find out more about this challenge. I mean, it's my RUNNING DREAM to run a marathon in all 7 continents!! Did you read my interview with the Runner's Lounge early in January? I mentioned that it was my *dream*!! I was so excited, I couldn't stop thinking about it all day!!

Just to give you a brief introduction to Hope Runs... here's what I copied from TFH's post. :

What is the Hope Runs 777 Challenge? In 2010, Hope Runs will be leading a Guinness World Record-breaking endeavor to complete 7 marathons on 7 continents in only 7 weeks. With a team of dedicated runners, we are committed to breaking some fantastic Guinness World Records (yes - there are some left to be broken in the area!). We are also proud to be running a green event through carbon-emissions-offset sponsoring.The Hope Runs 777 Challenge will help bring the issues facing the 14.5 million AIDS orphans in Africa alone to the forefront of the world’s consciousness. By pushing ourselves to the limit, our team will raise awareness for the issues facing orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) all over the world, mobilizing people everywhere to become more involved. With each member of the team covering his or her own costs and committing to raise thousands more toward the cause, this effort will help to make a lasting impact in places that need it most.

For more details you can click here for where the proceeds to go and all the other exciting stuff!

Of course, later that evening, I consulted my husband about the 777 Challenge becaues I wouldn't want to commit to something THIS HUGE without this support. And as usual, he was very excited and supportive of me! He knew I've been wanting to run 7 marathons in 7 continents and excited that my dreams are that much closer in coming true. Not only that, I'd be able to help orphans with AIDS in Africa. It can't get any better than this!!!

So I immedately wrote to Hope Runs the next day and we've been going back and forth on my fundrasing goals iron out the details It's taken a little over week to finalize everything but I sent in my signed contract/consent form yesterday. And so, it's official. I am running the Hope Runs 777 Challenge!!!

Of course, there is the little itty bit about raising $26,000 dollars for the cause and raising my own travel expenses, which would add up close to $40,000. Daunting, I know. Scary. Petrifying. Holy sh*t. OMG. OMG!!!!

So, basically, I need about 40,000 people to donate a dollar. Or, about 20,000 people donate $2. Or, 8000 people donate $5. I have a few other fundraising ideas but... I need your help. If you're so very inclined to help me with my cause, would you donate a dollar? (Of course, more would be welcome!) Also, the ROHO girls have already offered to help setting up fundraising events with me locally. What would I do without these girls??? Also, do you know anyone who want to sponsor me?? I'm looking for corporate sponsors!

If you'd like to donate, please follow THIS LINK and look for the donate button on the right column. PayPal is the preferred method because you can specify that you're donating to me. I looked into using firstgiving.org but they take 7.5% out of each donation so that doesn't do us much good. I need all of it to go to Hope Runs!

Oh, and in case you're curious, here are the 7 marathons!!

DATE

RACE

LOCATION

January 2010

ING

Miami, Florida USA

February 2010

Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon

Beppu JAPAN

February 2010

Buller Marathon

Westport NEW ZEALAND

February 2010

TBA

EUROPE

March 2010

Kilimanjaro Marathon

Moshi TANZANIA

March 2010

Antarctica Marathon

King George Island ANTARCTICA

March 2010

Maraton Fin del Mundo

Ushuaia ARGENTINA


Also, if you have any fundraising ideas... please let me know!!! If you'd like to help me raise the money for Hope Runs, that would be awesome, too! Also, please feel free to point people to this post!! I need to drive a lot of traffic to my blog so that people are reading and donating...

Thank you. I feel like such a sales person. But it is for a very worthwhile cause! Did I mention I'm really excited?? :-)

52 comments:

  1. This is exciting news!! It sounds like and awesome experience. Antarctica and New Zealand will be fabulous. This is really a once in a lifetime chance. I can't wait to read all about your travels. I am so excited.

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  2. Ooh, Julianne! I am so happy for you! You are my hero for doing this. I can't wait to hear about your preparation for this amazing experience! Great job, lady!

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  3. That is so awesome. I can't wait to read about all the prep and fundrasing. I'll set up a paypal account and donate soon. Congratulations. f

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  4. wow!!! That is incredible news! Looking forward to following your journey!congrats :)

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  5. Wow, Julianne, that is such amazing news. I look forward to hearing about all your adventures. Will do my part to contribute later on today. Congrats!

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  6. Oh my gosh...this is SO exciting. I can't believe it! I wish I could do something like this but with work and life, it would never work. I can't wait to follow you through this!

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  7. That's really incredible! Good for you! It's a great cause, and I think it will be an experience you'll never forget.

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  8. OH MY GOD! I am so freaking excited for you!!!!!

    I will definitely make a contribution and try to send some traffic your way. Good luck!!!

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  9. That sounds so so so exciting! You are going to have so much fun running!!

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  10. WOW! That is really, really exciting! I also do events in various locations raising money for Arthritis so I have some great ideas for fundraisinig that I have done or will do this year. You will have such a fantastic experience!! Can't wait to hear more about it!

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  11. Wow. How exciting. I am so happy for you.

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  12. I'm so excited for you! I wish I had the time to take on this cause, I was definitely a bit jealous when I heard the news! :)

    I will try my best to help spread the word and drive traffic here. If I think of any good ideas, will definitely let you know.

    Get excited!

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  13. INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe you should make a webpage for this? with an online place to make donations??? if you do that i would HAPPILY direct anyone who reads my blog to your website to make a donation.

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  14. OMG!!! That is absolutely FANTASTIC CHICA!!! CONGRATS!! I'm with Lacey I'll be more than happy to direct peeps to your page :-)

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  15. What an experience Julianne! Wow how exciting! I would love to donate.... as soon as i get back from my trip, i'll help out any way i can.

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  16. That would be so awesome. Maybe when the kids are out of the house I will have to do this.

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  17. Oh & If you make a button that was clickable, i'll gladly post it on the side of my blog! I could do it for you, but i have no clue how! HAHA

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  18. Wow that is so so so exciting!!! Congrats on getting accepted and good luck as you work through training!

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  19. Amazing! What a great organization! Good good with everything, and you better blog the hell out of the experience. :o)

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  20. Again - so awesome! I'll get back to you with some fundraising ideas. You can DEFINITELY do this. And I think a logo button that others can put on their websites would be a good first step.

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  21. Wow!!! Tucker did a Hope Walks event with our church in November. I'll be happy to sponsor you, blog daughter! What an amazing challenge. But you may want to hold off on the pregnancy thing, as international travel and intense marathon running, while wonderful, may not be ideally mixed with growing a baby... I'm just sayin...!

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  22. I'm SO excited for you-- and also because we get to live this vicariously through you. Yay, yay, yay! Kilimanjaro? Antartica? Amazing. I didn't imagine my post could actually lead to one of my favorite bloggers doing this! I'll talk with my husband and see what we can scrape together towards your fundraising goal-- what a fantastic cause. And of course I will link to your goal on my blog. I think creating a button like Nicole said is a great idea so it could be more permanently visible than a single post.

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  23. I'm so excited for you!! That is so cool. You know you can count on us Portland girls to contribute in any way we can. Can't wait to follow you on this amazing journey! :)

    Great to see you again last night. See you again soon!!

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  24. What an AMAZING opportunity for you and for such a worthy cause!!! This is a dream of mine as well and I am so excited to follow you through this. I will do whatever I can to get people to your blog and of course try to help you out.

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  25. I'm super excited for you! I definitely posted about you and the cause. Maybe with Gazelle's help we can pull some sort of event together for PDX too.

    Can't wait to follow your journey!

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  26. wow that is beyond exciting!! I will love reading about your travels and these amazing experiences!

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  27. yay!!! I am soooo excited fro you! you know I will be donating and weill be helping you raise money any way possible!!! :)

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  28. I am SO freakin' excited for you!!! I am also a teensy bit jealous since doing the 7 continents is also on my do-befre-death list :) Will definitely spread the word and help you raise $! This is going to be awesome!

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  29. This so awesome Julianne! What an adventer. I will post about this on my blog!

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  30. i know i said this yesterday, but i want to tell you again how cool your plan is and how wonderful it is to get to follow your dream!! could you put the link to donate in your sidebar?
    and it was SO good to meet you!

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  31. What an exciting adventure! I am so happy that you can follow your dream. I will also spread the word about your goal and hope it helps raise some $$.

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  32. whoa! you're amazing!!! that is fantastic and so exciting! way to go chai!! I'll definitely donate to your cause, what a great one!

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  33. Wow, this is amazing, Julianne! Lucky for you, I happen to be a single woman that is not a homeowner who needs a tax deduction! :P I'd be happy to help. Have you fundraised before? I raised >$3000 for TNT in 2007 just by doing a couple of email blasts. With your resources and more importantly, your *passion*, you should have no problem! Just remember, ask big! You're doing an AMAZING thing!

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  34. That's awesome!!! When I saw the post about this I also wanted to do it immediately as well but the fundraising that has me super scared.

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  35. I'm all jealous/excited/amazed/excited/thrilled/excited rolled up into one!

    It is a great cause, and I have NO DOUBT that you'll exceed your fundraising goals :)

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  36. I'm having running / travel envy!! Get us a button to direct traffic!! This is so awesome!

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  37. how awesome! Good for you!

    Kelly Turner
    www.everygymsnightmare.com

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  38. You know I'm behind you 110%!!! And also, it ends in Argentina?? Hmmmm...maybe I should cheer you on there and then stay for the hot Latin men!

    Count me in for help with any fundraising event!

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  39. Julianne, I have an idea, how about a virtual race with an entry fee? I am so in awe of you doing this. What an AMAZING life experience. I told my hubs about this, and now he wants to do it, but it will be in the future. Do they do this every year?

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  40. What a great cause! And it is so neat that your husband is supportive of it as well. I wonder what the Antarctica one will be like, of course ;)

    - kilax (ilaxstudio.com/blog/)

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  41. I just realized I never said congratulations! The whole thing is so exciting, I can't wait to read all about it.

    And.... Good luck at the race tomorrow!

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  42. So excited for you and proud of you. It will be the experience of a lifetime and leave you with memories forever.

    I like Marci's idea of a virtual race with an entry fee.

    You have so much to look forward to!

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  43. this is soooooooo exciting :) you are so awesome and are perfect for this!!!! cant wait to help you fundraise!!

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  44. That is awesome - I am jealous! Well, more jealous of the 7 continents than the 7 marathons.

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  45. Hi I just linked your blog from Training for a Half. She mentioned about your big announcement. Whoa 7 marathons....I'm barely working my way to a 5k. haha!

    I think that is awesome that you're going to run a marathon in 7 continents! I wish I could do that...$40,000 is A LOT of money. I'll see what I can do to help you out. In the mean time I wish you the best of luck. :-)

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  46. I have no idea what you're talking about, but I am so happy and proud of you!

    p.s. the words "I have exciting news" can never come out of my mouth either ;)

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  47. That is SUPER exciting!
    congrats on Napa, btw!!

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  48. Wow, what an incredible adventure! When I did my 21 Run Salute, I knew running 21 marathons would be the easy part and the fundrasing the hard part (since I'd never done it before). Most of the $21K I raised was via corporate donations and I was able to get about half of my costs funded via sponsors. Click on the 21 Run Salute link on my blog (under Other Interesting Links) if you're interested in seeing what I did. Best of luck to you!!

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  49. Congrats Julianne I can't think of anyone that I know that deserves this awesome opportunity. Best wishes and you can definitely count on me for some donations along the way. Take care and Congrats again.

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