I wanted to let you know more about why the Shelter Challenge Race Weekend is happening and I hope that it will encourage you to register for one of the races or both.  And if you aren’t inspired to compete, then please let me know if you’d consider volunteering at one of the races. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into putting on a race and without volunteers it would be impossible.

 But now I’ll get back to what the Shelter Challenge means to me.

 If you know me at all then you know that I am passionate about running and triathlons.  I am almost always training for something or recovering from having just done some big race.  After twenty odd years of racing and competing I have found that I need a goal for the year to keep me motivated and inspired to train.  So in the spring of 2009 we came up with the idea of tying a personal goal of mine (which was to beat my best Boston marathon time of 3 hours and 13 minutes) with a charitable goal (which was to raise funds for a local men's shelter). 

 I failed to run the race I had hoped for, but I was still able to help coordinate the contribution of approximately $4,500.00 for Metro Turning Point Centre (a men’s shelter operated through Saint Leonard’s Society of Nova Scotia).

 Inspired by the success that the Shelter Challenge had in 2009, I am now looking to go even bigger in 2010!  While my fundraising efforts were on my own last year, I am now a part of a larger group of individuals that are looking to raise funds for Saint Leonard’s Society through something called SWIM 2010. 

 Each participant in SWIM 2010 is required to raise at least $6,200.00 to be included in a trip to Greece this fall that will include swimming 25 kilometers over 5 days.  Swim?  Swim 5 kilometers a day?  Wow, that sounded awesome and scary and inspiring. 

 Raising that much money in our current economic climate will be tough and I didn’t want to go back to all the wonderful folks that supported me last year with the 2009 Shelter Challenge. So that is where the idea of organizing the Shelter Challenge race weekend came from.  I honestly don’t know what will be harder, organizing two races or having to swim and swim a lot to get ready for long distance, open water swimming!

 I am honored to be associated with the amazing work of Saint Leonard's Society of Nova Scotia.  If you don’t know, they are a not-for-profit, charitable organization responsible for the operation of Homeless Shelters and Community Residential Facilities in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Those facilities include Sir Sanford Fleming House, Nehiley House, Barry House and Metro Turning Point Centre. You can find more information at the website http://www.saintleonards.com/.

 
I look forward to seeing you at the races!

 
~Stacy Juckett Chesnutt