Benj's MiMSpiring GTMD Fundraiser

For 5 years, I've been proud to serve on the Mile in My Shoes (MiMS) board of directors. MiMS' running teams pair volunteers ("Run Mentors") with people experiencing homelessness, recovering from substance, and reentering the community after incarceration ("Resident Members"). 

These teams run together 2-3 mornings a week, starting with one mile, then another, until soon they are running 5Ks, 10Ks, even marathons. Along the way, long-lasting connections form among teammates whose paths might not normally cross. As our runners often say, every mile changes you. 

MiMS' impact is best captured in our runners' words:

"I had run before, but alone. I was scared to run with a group, scared of being judged. After just a few runs, I thought, these are just the best people. They hold me accountable, they accept me. With them, I don't feel like a number, or a prisoner."

Your contribution supports Mile in My Shoes' "no judgment zone" (quote credit: Alumni Member Love) by providing gear and race entries for our members:

• $15 buys winter running gloves and a hat for one Resident Member runner.
• $25 pays for a running shirt and shorts.
• $50 sponsors one Resident Member in a 5K race.
• $50 buys a pair of running shoes.
• $100 covers the cost of a Garmin GPS watch for an Alumni Member.
• $150 covers all the gear: hat, gloves, shirt, shorts, and shoes.

P.S. This year, a week after Give to the Max Day, I'll be running the "Pi Run 5K" on Thanksgiving Day (and my birthday!). This is the year-end race for Mile in My Shoes members—come see the MiMS family out on Lake Harriet the morning of the 25th!

Thank you for supporting me and Mile in My Shoes!