I have a dream, and I need your help.
Before you get scared that I am going to try to get you to run a Half Marathon, let me be clear, to be on the Tiny Oranges Team, you can choose to participate in any of the events, the Half Marathon, 10K run, 5K run OR walk, even a 1K kids’ fun run!
Now that hopefully your mind is still open, please keep reading on how this idea all came together and what we can do together to make a difference in a child’s life!
Last year on December 31st, I wrote a list of resolutions. Things I wanted to do this year. #4 on my list was to organize a charity project through Tiny Oranges with your help. I just didn’t know what it would be. So I waited and listened because I had this feeling it would just come to me. And it did.
A couple months back, I got an email from an old friend that wrote this beautiful post on surviving childhood pediatric cancer. And it sat heavy on my heart. Because as a mom, I can’t even wrap my head around how you would cope if it was your child.
Then I did some research and I learned how UNDERFUNDED pediatric cancer research is and that made me sad and angry because we are talking about CHILDREN.
Then when I picked up my bib for the Long Beach Half Marathon last month, in it was a flyer for the Cinco de Mayo Reaching for the Cure Run/Walk to benefit pediatric cancer research. It was right then when I KNEW, in my heart, this was it. This was the project.
So I am asking you {and your husbands, friends & relatives) to please join TEAM TINY ORANGES! Because together we have the opportunity to raise money for this incredibly important cause and make a difference.
$2000 is my team goal to raise. But between you and me I am hoping we blow that number out of the water! And I think, no, I know, we will!
So, six months from today, on May 1st, 2011, I hope you will join me and Team Tiny Oranges as we get ready to ROCK the Cinco de Mayo race benefiting the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation!
1. Click THIS LINK to go to the Tiny Oranges Team page
2. Click “Join Our Team” at the top
3. Agree to the terms
4. Then you will enter in your information, select your race of choice and enter payment info. After you register, you will be directed to a personal page where you can put in a personal fundraising goal and find the forms to email contacts and spread the word to your friends to start raising money.
But this is also an important note! If you are uncomfortable fundraising, please know that this is not a requirement to be on the team! I hope you do, but you don’t have to.
And that’s all folks! I have to have 10 people to even be considered a “team” so my goal is by the end of the day today that I can have at least 10 people signed up so I can be “legit!”
I would love you to please post this on your Facebook pages too! Here is the link to this post:
http://www.tinyoranges.com/2010/11/01/team-tiny-oranges-reaches-for-the-cure
If you have never attached a link before on Facebook, let me tell you how!
1. Select the entire line above from the http part to the last word, then right click and copy
2. In your status update you can write whatever you want
3. In the grey box where it says “attach” click the first icon for “link”
4. It will pull down a white box where you will put your mouse and hit “paste”
5. Then click “attach” and then “share”
Thanks friends! Can’t wait to see our team grow!
And feel free to email, forward, do anything you can to spread the word and help recruite team members! I am SO EXCITED you guys! I can’t wait to see what we can do! XO
{P.S. If anyone out there is looking fear in the face at this moment, thinking “could I maybe, possibly do a half marathon?”
Let me tell you, there is no feeling that will compare to when you cross that finish line. Even if you have never run in your entire life (like me when I trained for my first one.) I thought I could NEVER do it. But I did, one foot in front of the other, and it has been a life-changing experience.
Six months is more than enough time to train, and I am so happy to provide tips and encouragement along the way! I applaud you for even considering it!}
Yay! I am excited! Thanks for organizing this, Jen. I wish that I could say that I could attempt the half but I will start with the 10K. 🙂 Maybe next time….
Are you KIDDING me?! A 10K is AMAZING! Such a great distance to challenge yourself. I am so proud of you and am SO happy to have you on Team Tiny Oranges!!!!
Jen I’m so excited to be a part of this! Can’t wait to get some fundraising workout classes going!
I am SO excited to have http://www.coreathletica.com and http://www.knocked-upfitness.com on board for this amazing event!
This is exactly what I needed to get me motivated to get in shape after recently having a baby. I am SUPER excited. I ran my first and only half marathon in 2009 and am ready to do it again. It will be fun to be part of a team this time. This cause is near and dear to my heart too after volunteering with Make a Wish and seeing many families battle pediatric cancer. Let the training begin!!
Your comment alone is inspiring ME! I can feel your excitement and I am so excited to run with you! This is going to be amazing! Sign up today if you can! I am 4 people away for making it to 10 and making the team status!
XO
This sounds great and for an amazing cause!! I would love to join the Tiny Oranges team. I can even host a fundraiser on my website. Last time I hosted a fundraiser (it was a one day only event) product purchases raised over $350!!
This is amazing! Thank you! Email me at jennifer@tinyoranges.com and we can coordinate! 🙂
Do you know if signing up on a team qualifies me for the “Run a Marathon in May”? Was thinking that I’d do both the Cinco De Mayo & Saddleback run. Just not sure if I have to do them both as an individual for tracking purposes. Didn’t see anything mentioned on the website. If you know, please pass the 411 along. I’d love to sign up on your team. 🙂
Hi April! I don’t know for sure, but even though you would be signing up for a team, you would still fundraise as an individual with an individual page, so I would THINK that it would have to count. But I don’t know for sure. Who is in charge of that event? The run a marathon in may? Let me know and I can for sure make some calls!!! Thanks for even considering joining us!
Joining Team Tiny Oranges definitely qualifies you for the Marathon in May!
Renegade Racing produces both events so all you have to do is register, run (or walk) to the finish line at PCRF Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon then at Laguna Hills Memorial Day Half, and then stop by the Renegade Racing booth at the LH finish line to pick up your special medal. Find info on both events and register at http://www.renegaderaceseries.com.
Good luck!
Thank you!!! I am completely inspired and hope we can do great things! THANKS for the info on the renegade racing!
Thank you for this amazing post!! Let us know if you or any of your teammates have any questions fundraising, creating teams, or anything at all.
You all are doing GREAT things and are making a difference in the lives of children with cancer. It is a super fun family event so make sure you bring everyone!
Great post! I am thrilled to see your involvement in Ped. cancer research. DH and I already donate to this cause and our entire family (all 5 of us) walked the 3k last year with our group Mikey’s Marauders. We will see you there in 2011. xxoo
yay!!!! so happy you will be there! xo
New to your blog (although I have heard about it for a while from a good friend of mine). She told me she joined your Cinco de Mayo run team, and it didn\’t take me more than a minute to say I would join too. I have a brother who survived cancer as a child, and with two kids of my own training for this cause will be worth it. Can\’t wait to be a part of Team Tiny Oranges!
Hi Heather!! I am so excited that you will be running with us! Thanks for joining- this blog is awesome so you should check it out daily!
Hi Jennifer! Thank you so much for taking on this worth while cause. I read Kristin’s post and of course this was a time that is forever etched in our hearts. Having our daughter diagnosed with cancer was very difficult but we had a strong supportive family, friends, Dr.’s and others who helped us make it through this challenging time. Kristin has always wanted to give back and this is a perfect way for her to get involved and help an important cause. Looking forward to this special event and seeing you again! Blessings…Kristin’s lucky mom…Gail 🙂
Gail!! Thank you SO much for joining the team!! I am SO excited to do this event with you and Kristin and all the other Tiny Oranges families that want to get involved. I feel great things to come!
As the mother of a 5-year-old with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, I thank you for starting this team and joining forces with PCRF. My son, Gavin, endured 4 rounds of intensive chemotherapy and is now in the less-intensive “maintenance” ohase of treatment, which will continue until 2013. We are lucky (in an absurd way) that his type of cancer is treatable and that his chromosomes are of the type that respond extrememly well to chemotherapy. If you see Team Gavin in orange t-shirts at the Run/Walk, please come over and say “hi”. Gavin will be leading our team this year!
HI!
I live in Arizona, but have been looking for a race to do in Cali. I am considering popping down there to run this one with ya all. I can try to fund raise some dough but I don’t know what I will get. Let me know if that works for you.
Cheers
Diana
I also have a group of friends who I told about this and they are open to the idea of a trip with a great cause with a run thrown in.
Let me know your thoughts if its cool. Its great that you are doing this.
That is awesome!! Where do you live? Orange County is a beautiful place to visit in the spring! Here is the host hotel from the PCRF website: http://tinyurl.com/233h6aq
Or if you need more recommendations where to stay just let me know! Would LOVE your group on my team! Join us!
And I am so sorry I just read you are from Arizona! So cool! You could even do a road trip :-)! Sign up!!