At noon on January 1, 2010 I found myself in a big crush of people, milling around, ready to run up and down a giant hill in the cold for the sheer thrill of it.
That's not quite true. I am running because I have a reason to run. This 5k was part of my training for a bigger run on February 6th. In exactly one month, I will be running in my first ever half marathon. It will likely be only my second scheduled race. It's a challenge, for sure, as I've never run that far in my life and I'm not quite sure how to go about it yet. I am training, but is it enough? Will I hurt myself? Will I be able to finish? Do I have the strength of mind and body to push through it? I'll have to, because as I said-- I'm running for a reason.
This half started out as just a good idea. However, it snowballed, and now about 10-20 of my classmates will be running not just for ourselves, but also for our classmate, Josh. If you hadn't heard, Josh passed away unexpectedly during the summer. His loss is with us Josh's memorial scholarship. It is being offered to students like Josh -- good kids from small towns who show a natural skill for one of veterinary medicine's less savory and more neglected fields. Josh was an amazing force for the advancement of bovine reproduction, and this scholarship goes to support people who share that drive and that passion.
Right now, there is enough money in the fund to support awards of a few hundred dollars a few times. To form an endowment, we would need to raise $25,000. This is a long haul and a distant goal, but we are determined to put money in the bank and keep this idea alive as long as possible. So, we are looking for sponsors for our runs. You can help out by just giving a little for each mile we run for Josh - a dime for every mile I run in training, a dollar per mile I don't stop and walk during the race. All of this goes toward Josh's scholarship and helping us to preserve his memory and his mission for all of the classes of veterinary students who will never be blessed with his presence in the way that we were.
I know it's a lot to ask of people, especially of the nebulous internet, but if this is something you think you would like to help with, please let me know. I am trying to get in shape, and that is the easy part. The harder slog will be trying to raise the money to keep Josh's dream alive. Any little bit helps, and I can provide you with more information on Josh, his scholarship, and what his interests were if you just ask.
I don't know what kind of response this will garner, but thank you for reading this far. I appreciate your support for the run, as well as our class and our classmate. No matter where I finish (and I WILL finish) it's good to know that I'm working toward a worthwhile goal.