CHOOSE LIFE -by Michelle Guardino




Special reunion at pre-op appointment

I went to make a comment on the GTD Facebook page in response to the post about my recent kidney transplant story and realized I had a little more to say than just a quick comment. I began to reflect on how the message of Go the Distance applies to the experience I had when going through this amazing journey. The message about stepping outside your comfort zone and pushing yourself to do something you didn’t even know you were capable of accomplishing. Answering the question of How Far Would You Go? It wasn’t the money that we raised that made Go the Distance such an inspiring event that touched so many peoples hearts, it was about making a difference!!!!



Go the Distance started with Greg seeing a need for funding and the more educated he became, the more passionate he became. It was his sincerity and passion for wanting to make a difference that moved an entire community. The same thing happened when I found out that Lance needed a kidney and by having type O blood, I could be a potential match. Up until then, it really wasn’t something on my radar. In fact, I had even wished Lance good luck in finding a kidney when his previous kidney failed. But once it was on my radar, it wasn’t something I could ignore. Once I started looking into it, the more I learned, the more passionate I became about wanting to make a difference for him. I learned so much about kidneys and transplants and dialysis. The most important thing I learned is that I really only needed one kidney, and could live a totally normal life with just one. So how could I not give one to Lance!?!?!? I went through a battery of tests to make sure that I was healthy enough to donate a kidney and to make sure that I was a match for Lance. I even passed a psych evaluation! : )

Speaking of crazy….I used to think that Greg was a little bit crazy for running 100 miles, then 128.75 miles, then 135 miles thru Death Valley. He has said that a little bit of physical pain was a small price to pay for the satisfaction that attaining your goal brought. I thought I got that….but now I can honestly say that I TOTALLY get it! I know some people think that I am a little bit crazy… but the small amount of physical pain was nothing compared to the enormous amount of joy and fulfillment that I got out of this incredible experience!!!!! I have been asked if I can feel a void where my kidney used to be. I can’t, I am pretty sure that my overflowing heart has easily filled that place, and then some!

Lance and his three Angels

 Besides an overflowing heart, I also got a new family out of the deal! I can never put into words the feeling of having his mom hug me and tell me there were no words to thank me for saving her son. As we both stood there hugging and crying I told her that none were needed, I was a mom! His mom, Diana, and sister, Tiffany, had already been kidney donors for Lance. Lance has battled this since Junior High School. Again, there are no words to convey my respect and awe and love for him and what he has been through. He has endured more than his share of medical issues but through it all his big giant heart, incredible courage, and amazing character have shined through!!!! An example of that was during our pre op appointment when the doctor told Lance that it was going to be a tricky surgery and then asked him if he still wanted to do it. Lance’s answer was, “I choose life, I have to live at least one more day than my mother!”

 I marvel in how all of the stars had to align in order for this miracle to take place. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Just like in running…where you start by running a mile, then you run a 5K, then a 10K, then a half marathon, then a marathon, then a 50 miler, then 100 miles, and then 135 miles! You just keep pushing yourself to see how far you can go. It is a progression! A wise person even said you will never know how far you can go until you are willing to risk going too far! To Challenge the Impossible! To step outside your comfort zone!!! The Go the Distance message applies to so much more than running. I had a bad experience as a teenager giving blood so I was afraid to do it. My son, Justin, was having a hard time mentally getting ready for a wrestling tournament. The KCRA Blood Drive happened to be going on that weekend and was all over the news. Justin and I talked about the message from GTD and stepping outside of our comfort zones. I told him that if he cowboyed up and tried at the tournament that I would do the same and go give blood. He won the tournament and I went and gave blood that following Monday. And guess what, it wasn’t that bad and I started giving blood every 8 weeks. While I was in giving blood, I became educated about being on the Bone Marrow Registry. That was outside my comfort zone but I signed up. Then one day I got a call saying that I was a match for a 17 year old boy and was asked if I was willing to go forward in the process to be a donor for him. How could I not!?!?!? So far I have not been called on to donate for him but I hope it gives him and his parents some peace of mind to know that if he ever needs it, there is a match and someone willing to donate for him!!!! The idea of giving up a kidney was definitely way outside my comfort zone, until I became educated about being a donor and what it meant for Lance! If I had not gone through the progression of giving blood and being a Bone Marrow match, I am not sure I would have been in a place to even entertain the idea of being a kidney donor. If I had not been involved with Go the Distance and didn’t totally believe in the message, I am not sure I would have had the courage to take those steps outside my comfort zone!

People have been shocked to find out that I was donating my kidney to a high school friend that I hadn’t seen in a pretty long time. There are people in your life that will always stand out as special and who you have an exceptional connection and bond. Lance is one of those friends and time could never change that. I told Lance that I have learned so much during this process and with that knowledge comes a passion, there is no way I can NOT be an advocate. I hope that by sharing my experience with others it will inspire them to get educated on donating blood, or being on the Bone Marrow Registry, or getting a pink donor dot on their drivers’ license. And once they get educated, I hope they can no longer NOT take action! I hope they too choose to make a difference!! That being said I would like to share a little bit about Lance’s story and what I have learned along the way because it is such an integral part of the story I am sharing about my journey.

Moments before we were wheeled off to surgery

I am not sure why I fought getting a Facebook page but I am so glad that I gave in. It allowed me to reconnect with Lance. It was the beginning of the stars coming into alignment. We had become FB friends and exchanged a few messages and he had tried to call me but I couldn’t answer because I was on my way to the hospital with Justin who had just dislocated and broken his elbow at a wrestling tournament. A few days later I was shocked to see a picture of Lance on FB in ICU recovering from heart surgery! I learned that his heart surgery was a result of his kidney disease and dialysis. I learned that Lance’s kidney disease was a result of a bout with Spinal Meningitis in Junior High. I learned that he had been on dialysis for two years before agreeing to accept his sister’s kidney. I asked him why he finally agreed to it after fighting it for so long, his answer was that he “chose to live.” Every time he went to dialysis, someone didn’t come back. That kidney lasted for 5 years. When it failed he went back on dialysis for two years before agreeing to accept his mother’s kidney. Again, as hard as it was for him to put his mother through surgery, he “chose to live.” That kidney lasted for 19 years, 3 months. It was then that I wished Lance luck in finding a kidney. Lance had been back on dialysis for about 7 months when he posted a need for a kidney on FB from someone with type O blood and a link to a website to better understand transplantation. Knowing Lance, I know that was not an easy post for him to make. But once again, he “chose life.” I clicked on the link and began to get educated….and the stars began to align even more!!!



Post surgery recovery popsicle

Knowledge is power! I wish I could share everything that I have learned with you but I will try to hit some of the stand out things. I guess the first thing is that whatever causes your kidney to fail in the first place will continue to attack your new kidney, creating a need for multiple transplants over a course of someone’s life. I learned that people die every day because of a shortage of donations. Every month more than 2,000 new names are added to the national list for organ transplants, and about 18 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant. I learned that if everyone who could be a deceased donor registered, there wouldn’t be a waiting list. Every deceased donor has the potential to save 8 lives and heal 50 more! I learned that Lance’s projected time on that waiting list was about 8 years. Being type O is a much harder match to find. I learned that he wouldn’t live 8 years. I had thought that someone could be on dialysis forever. I have learned that isn’t the case and what a toll dialysis takes on your body. Lance was going to dialysis 3 times a week for 4 and half hours. Every time he chose to go, he “chose life.” I learned that during dialysis your blood pressure drops and you cramp really badly, it is not an easy thing!!! I learned that your kidney does so much more than just filter your blood. It produces urine, so if you don’t have a functioning kidney, you don’t produce urine. All of that fluid and all of those toxins stay in your body until your next dialysis treatment!!!! Every day the kidney’s process about 200 quarts of blood and sift out 2 quarts of waste products and extra water. If the kidneys don’t remove the waste and water they build up in the blood and damage the body!!! In addition to removing wastes, kidneys release three important hormones: EPO, which stimulates bone marrow to make red blood cells, rennin, which regulates blood pressure, and calcitriol, which helps maintain calcium for bones for normal chemical balance in the body!

Lance “chooses to live” every day of his life! The love from his girlfriend Linda, his family, and his friends support him in that choice every day! I have been friends with and loved Lance for over 30 years, but in a very short amount of time, I came to love his mom Diana, sister Tiffany, and girlfriend Linda! My new family! We will share a special bond the rest of our lives!!! Every test that Lance and I took over the past 6 months that came back saying we could move ahead in the process were stars moving into place so that on August 2, 2013 they were all in alignment for the miracle of life to happen!!! Not a day will go by for the rest of my life that I will not be thankful for that miracle and pray for the stars to remain in alignment for Lance!!!

I am proud and honored and forever changed in such a good way to be a small part of that miracle! I am also proud of my son, Jared, who when he turned 16 chose to be an organ and tissue donor and proudly sports a pink dot on his driver’s license! And when Del Oro High School had a blood drive at school I was prepared to try to convince him to donate blood, but I didn’t have to, he came home with a permission slip for me to sign so that he could donate! And he proudly wears his “Every Drop Counts” t-shirt!

Speaking of t-shirts…..the one that I am holding in the picture with Lance is incredibly meaningful. It is an example of Lance pushing himself to do something he didn’t know he was capable of doing. In his previous surgeries he didn’t get up and walk for a long time….but this time, in order to earn that shirt for me, he got up and walked a cumulative mile in 10 days!!! What a stud!!!! How fitting that it was the first mile of the rest of his life! A life free of dialysis, a life free to travel, a life free to live!! Every day Lance shows JUST HOW FAR HE WILL GO to live and to make a difference! He makes a difference to so many! I can’t even begin to tell you how many cards and messages I have received from people thanking me for saving Lance because they couldn’t imagine life without his friendship! I am one of those people! Love you LDW!

How far would you go to make a difference?

Go the Distance - The Event

It’s been over a month since Go the Distance and I still have not sat down and put my thoughts down on paper like I had planned to do. I’m having a very difficult time putting my thoughts together on this event and my words are not really able to capture all that it has meant to me. With that said I wanted to put something down on paper so I went back to an outline I had put together for the Go the Distance appreciation assembly that was held at the Franklin Gym one week after the event. I did my best to take that outline and recreate basically what I said during my 20 minute speech that day.


Do you know what I wish? I wish that everyone here could have felt what it has been like to be me for the past week. It would change your life. It has changed mine.

Just hours into the 24-hour run I was accompanied by Erika Small, one of the key Go the Distance team members. Erika said to me,”did you ever imagine it would be like this?” I knew the answer she expected to get but my reply was something different. I responded to her, “Yes, this is how I imagined it.” When you are planning an event and you picture it in your head you always visualize it at its best. Saturday after the event I sent Erika another email saying that I had changed my answer I gave her 48 hours earlier. I expected the media at the start and the kids going wild and band being great and the 5k having 500 participants and all those other things. What I didn’t see coming were the intangibles and emotional effect this event would have on the kids, the participants and the entire community. It touched a nerve in people and had a deeper effect than I ever imagined. I’ve heard countless stories from people who were moved to tears. It brought the school together like I’ve never seen before. Go the Distance transcended the run and the event and became a movement.

I had a lot riding on this event. It was my creation and my family’s name and reputation were all over it. For media purposes I made a huge commitment and “I called my shot”. I not only said I am going to run for 24 hours but that I’m going to run 125 miles in 24 hours. I knew that was what the media wanted to hear. There was certainly added pressure put on me to reach that distance. Most of that pressure was applied by me. Nobody would have called the run a failure if I only reached 120 miles but it was important to me. As a result, stress levels were very high and sleep was minimal in the weeks leading up to the run. The tension built when the media picked up as the day got closer. In the two nights prior to the event I got nine hours of sleep. From Tuesday morning to Friday morning (72 hours) I slept a total of 9 hours.


The night before the run I got 4 hours sleep and woke up at 1:15 not able go back to sleep so I began the slow methodical process of getting ready. It was actually a relief to be getting in the car and driving to the school. It was a busy morning for everyone and things came together as planned. I was wishing I had more alone time to prepare but I was running around answering questions, medical checks and doing media stuff right up to the time when I was handed the microphone to say a few words to the kids and families that came out. I can’t tell you exactly what I said but I know the message was something about the fact that this event has long outgrown me and it is now about a school and a community coming together to make a difference. At the time I had no idea how right I would be proven to be.

I won’t bore you with the hour by hour details of what I was thinking or doing but there were events that stood out in my mind throughout the day that I feel are important to share.

I enjoyed running with every class as they came out for their PE for the day. It was a great distraction and constant entertainment. If I were in a race it would have been a terrible distraction but this was not a race. What stands out to me now is the fact that the kids wanted to talk to me. Not like an adult or like a teacher but like a friend. Early in the day I was running with the 8th graders. I’d been into the classrooms in the weeks prior and asked who was planning on coming out to the Thursday evening 5k and festivities. A few hands “casually” went up, as 8th grade hands do. That’s cool, I expected that. But when I asked the same question on the track I got a different answer. There was enthusiasm. They wanted to be a part of this. I knew the older kids were in! Then it was time to run with the kindergarteners. What a wonderful mess that was! Sure enough first lap a kid is running in front of me looking back and goes down right in front of me and the herd of 40 charging kindergarteners. We managed not to trample him and pressed on. I learned the names of all their pets and each of their Birthdays and several other random facts about each one before we parted ways. With that I knew the little kids were in! The same story goes for each grade. There was a feeling that most of them wanted to be there and were excited about what was happening. I took energy from knowing that the message that we were trying to send just might get through to some of them.

As the day pressed on and the evening approached I began to feel the wear of 40 plus miles starting to have an effect. Just before the start of the 5k I had so many eyes on me and I was at a point where I needed a quick break to fill up on calories and fluid but I didn’t take the time that I should have to make sure I had everything right. When I headed out on the 5k course for 3 loops I was already low on hydration and calories and the half hour away from the track took a toll on me. The good news is that I knew exactly what I needed. I finished the 5k and told my Dad, “I’m thirsty, I’m hungry and I’m wiped out.” He calmly said “okay”, and began to fix the problem. I stopped and put down 300 calories, 12 oz of water 450 mg of sodium and he sent me on my way with another 10 oz of water to finish over the next few laps. I told Gina I’d like an escort and she ran in front of me for about 20 minutes or so before the fueling began to kick in and I came back around. It doesn’t take much to get off on the fueling and feel the effects. Before long I was feeling a little better but the miles were slowly taking their toll.

I loved the music. Mother Mayhew was awesome and sounded great. But, by the time it began to get dark and the people began to clear out I was also ready for the circus to leave town and to get to work on what would be the most difficult pat of this run, the darkness. There is a saying in the ultrarunning world that in a 100 mile race you run the first 50 with you legs and the second 50 with you mind. In a 24 hour run I would say you run the first 12 hours with your legs and the second 12 with you mind. It was time for the mind to take over. Strangely I don’t have any great stories to tell from the night. It was a surreal experience and I just put my head down and did what I had to do. Many people came out to join me throughout the night and most of the time the company was welcome. Some time shortly after midnight I began to sink into rough patch and asked to run alone for a while. I loved the fact that so many people were willing to join me and help me through the night but there comes a time where nobody can help and I have to turn inwards and close out all outside distractions. At this point I was no longer making decisions but rather relying 100% on my crew or my Father and Brother-in-law to make those decisions for me. Sheri commented that she felt like she was playing the part of Mother of the Bride with so many people asking her questions about me. She was calm and ensured everyone that I was doing fine even when it may have appeared that I was struggling. Sheri has seen worse and says she can tell my condition from my eyes. My Dad says he can tell from my speech. My Brother-in-law / EMT says he can tell from my vital signs. What a team!

My Dad and I had a plan going into this thing. Every lap was calculated on a pace chart and assuming we stuck with the plan I would reach 125 miles with 30 minutes to spare. The plan was to take it easy during the day and enjoy the company of everyone around me. I would run very conservatively and try and remain reasonably social through 8:30 pm on Thursday. Once everyone left I would get down to business and we both expected that things might get a little messy through the night. Once we knew that I would make the 125 miles I would slowly begin to shut it down and back off the pace so that I would be able to compose myself and grab the microphone and speak to the kids after the run. That was important to me and I was willing to sacrifice a few miles so that I would be able to address them at the end. To our surprise five media trucks began arriving in the 4:00 hour and stopping and walking was no longer an option for me. I did slow the pace a bit but could not bring myself to take any extended breaks or walk with the cameras present. As it turned out the slowing of the pace along with the rising of the sun and gathering of the crowd gave me the amazing boost of energy I needed to finish this thing off.

April 23, 2010

At about 23 hours and 15 minutes I completed the lap that put me at 125 miles. Nobody there really knew how important that lap was to me. It was even far more important than the last lap. From here on in it was all celebration and I did my best to enjoy the moment even though I was very uncomfortable. As the final laps wore down everything came together as it should. I ran a few laps with Gina and we quietly gave each other a little pat on the back for what we have accomplished with Go the Distance. She was also exhausted from being up all night and running this show and at that moment, as we slowly made our way around the track I felt as if we had run every step side-by-side from the very beginning. Then my family joined me for a bit and I was able to see the pride in my kids eyes as we slowly jogged past a cheering crowd. Finally the Osborne girls joined me for what would be the final lap. The girls and I talked throughout during the lap but I couldn’t tell you what was said. My mind was focused on what I had been through over the last 24 hours and everything it has taken over the last 6 months to get to this point. As we rounded the final curve all the hairs on my arms began to stand and that tingling feeling overcame my entire body. At this moment there was no pain, only numbness from head to toe. It was as it I felt every emotion at one instance and then it was over.


With those final steps I accomplished my goal, a goal that I set 6 months prior. The goal that I had spent over 500 hours preparing for. In order to accomplish this goal I had to be willing to go to a place that most people have never been and most will never go; their outer limits of mental and physical possibilities. What I’ve learned from doing these runs is not that I can push myself to my limit. What I learned is that my limit is way further out than I ever imagined it was. Every time I think I can’t go another step but find a way to do it I learn that I am stronger than I know. It’s like exploring space. People used to think the universe was what was in front of them. As we have begun to explore space, the more we learn the more we understand there is so much more out there than we ever realized. And there is more out there than you realize. You can do far more than you realize. Your mind and your body are an amazing vehicle that will take you anywhere you want to go if you take care of it and you are willing to work for it. It may even take you places that you never imagined were possible.

A few weeks ago our photographer James Pratt asked me to come up with a motivational saying and write it down on a piece of paper and sign it. He was going to emboss it on a photo and offer it on his website. I put it off for a while but eventually decided I would do it. But what would I say? There is a saying that I really liked that goes, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." By T.S. Eliot. The only problem was that I couldn’t use it because it is too wordy and it would be plagiarism. So I began to take the quote and break it down to its basic meaning and I came up with these three words, “Challenge the Impossible”. I liked it but I needed to run it by my brain trust, Gavin. I said to Gavin, “What do you think of this motivational quote, Challenge the Impossible?” He thought about it for about a second and a half and said, “That’s dumb Dad, why would you challenge the impossible? If it is impossible why would you bother doing it?” That’s when I knew it was perfect.

I had a number of people that I needed to thank. Principle Shawn Shaw for never hesitating for a second to allow this to happen. Jason Harper for the guidance and encouragement and warning me on the effect of running for a reason. To my crew: Brother-in-law Kevin Guerrero and my Dad for standing at attention for every lap and making sure everything was taken care of and putting my safety and needs first. To my family, Sheri, Garret and Gavin for the encouragement, never doubting me and putting up with everything that has gone into this event. Nobody knows how much they have sacrificed and how much of my time they have given up to allow this to happen. I had two very special people that I thanked and presented with a nice photo collage and flowers. Michelle Guardino, Thank you. You have no idea how good you really are as you quietly just get the job done. I’m sure that every teacher in the school will testify to this. Gina Anixter, my partner from the beginning, Thank you. Go the Distance will continue at Franklin but only if you are willing to do it with me.

Go the Distance became more than a fundraiser. It became a movement and it sent a message. Where you wind up in life is a result of all the little decisions you make every day of your life. Each day you wake you have a choice to take the easy way, the way that you are comfortable with. Or you can take the path that may be a little more difficult. The way that may have some mountains to climb but the way that will lead you to where you want to be. So each day you make a choice, the easy way, the path of less resistance, or the hard way, the path that leads you to the top of the mountain. So what’s it going to be? Will you choose to take the path of less resistance or will you choose to Go the Distance? Make the right choice. Climb that mountain. Go the Distance.

Greg Bomhoff Community Hero Award

>From Gold Country Media-

The Placer County Youth Commission helped a group of young people say “thanks” to adults who made a difference in their lives – including three from the Roseville area.

During the Community Hero Awards ceremony held at Rocklin’s Whitney Ranch House residential clubhouse on May 26, Greg Bomhoff, of Granite Bay, and Roseville residents Karl Dyer and William “Wild Bill” Hill were honored for having changed the lives of young people.

Eight-year-old Jake Whittle nominated Bomhoff for his “Go the Distance” run that raised more than $20,000 to save Franklin School’s physical education program.

“When everyone heard that we might lose our PE program, no one knew what to do,” Whittle said. “But Greg did something about it and he raised lots of money to help us out.”

“It was a simple plan and it required me to run around the Franklin School track for 24 hours,” he said. “That’s almost running 130 miles. It was crazy but I thought I could raise money and awareness at the same time."

And raised more than $27,500 as well.

“I was just happy that I did it and helped the kids save their PE program,” Bomhoff said. “Then I heard Jake had nominated me. I knew then that I did something more than raise money for kids. I showed them that anything is possible if you work hard and never give up.

Update:

September 11, 2018 - Go the Distance (Michelle Guardino and Greg Bomhoff) First recipients of Loomis Certificate of Appreciation from Council Member and former town Mayor Brian Baker. On this year Go the Distance eclipsed half million dollars raised for Loomis Schools.

Meet the Go the Distance Team

In a couple of my previous posts I made mention of the Go the Distance Team that has been assembled and is responsible for putting this event together and I thought it would be a good idea to introduce some of the key members.

There are really two teams at work right now. First, there is my personal team, my handlers. They are responsible for caring for me during the event and making sure I have what I need to continue for 24 hours. Second, there is the team of Franklin parents who are putting in many hours to ensure this event will meet the goals we are reaching for.

My Handlers:

Ron Bomhoff – If there is one person you would want in your corner taking care of you as you push yourself to the limit why not choose the person that has been taking care of you from day one. My Dad has crewed for me on many of my races and is not only knowledgeable of the trials of ultrarunning but he also has a very good sense of my condition during the runs. He will ultimately be the one responsible for monitoring my weight, electrolyte levels, hydration, calorie composition and overall health during the event. Decisions will be made here.

Kevin & Stacy Guerrero – (Sister and Brother-in-law) Stacy and Kevin have crewed for me at some of my longer races and know what to expect on April 22nd-23rd. Stacy was there for possibly my most difficult race and has seen the physical and emotional highs and lows a runner goes through in a long run. Kevin is an EMT and is known for his attention to detail. He will likely also be tracking my health by watching my electrolyte intake, weight, hydration, calories and split times. All this information will be charted and routine medical checks including blood pressure will be performed throughout the day and night just as a precaution.

Sheri Bomhoff – Like Stacy, Sheri has also been at enough races to understand what is needed and when. Sheri is multi-tasking and also will be in charge of some of the events scheduled to take place Thursday evening at the track. It is no coincidence that my handles are all family. Who else is going to stay up all night long and remain totally focused on making sure I have everything I need. Anybody?

The Event Management:

Gina Anixter – (Event Planner) – Gina is responsible for everything beyond this event being a guy running in circles for 24-hours to raise money for the school. (which is what it was when I first pitched the idea) Gina, an accomplished runner/triathlete herself, immediately came on board as the PTC liaison and began to get the wheels turning to make this a very special school event. She has been and will be involved in every aspect of the planning, fundraising and logistics of the event.

Kari jo Clark – (Public Relations / Marketing) Kari jo is putting the word out that there is an exciting event happening at Franklin School and has already distributed the first press release to all major media in the Sacramento area. In addition she has targeted local Loomis and Granite Bay community media and social groups to bring in interest from the entire community. When you see the news trucks at our school or the article in the paper you’ll know who is behind it.

Racine Shaw- (Treasurer) Racine is the PTC Treasurer and is working hard to figure out some of the details in setting up the online donation and registration issues and in accounting and reporting. This is one of those behind the scenes jobs that typically doesn’t get the credit it deserves given the amount of work that goes into it so thank you Racine! I had no idea how hard it was to collect money!

Michelle Guardino – (logistics Coordinator) Michelle will have her hands full on the day and the evening and the next day of the event. Her job as the Logistics Coordinator will be to take all the great events we have planned for the 2 days and figure out how, when and where to make them happen. I think we found the right person for the job! I’ve promised her it will be fun!

Andy Clark – (Emcee / Medic) – Andy has offered his talents both as the voice of the event and as a medic. I’m looking forward to hearing his skilz with the microphone but hope not to need his expertise as a medic. It will be nice to have him there as we do intend to have a trained medic on site for the full 24 hours. We’ll have to give him a cool DJ name too. Any suggestions?

Clint Nelson – (Corporate Sponsorship) Clint is also an experienced runner and triathlete and is working to attract athletic sponsorship and to partner with athletic promoters to support our event.

Lori Jorgensen, Connie Mancasola – (Assemblies and student involvement) We currently have two or three assemblies planned for Walk Toward Health Week. Lori and Connie will bring in individuals that will educate, motivate and entertain the kids about health and fitness. We are hoping to have assemblies at both the beginning and end of the event and involve the kids as much as possible.

Erika Small – Erika has become very involved in the planning of the event and is also doing some soliciting for Corporate Sponsorship and special guests. I understand she has some other tricks up her sleeve but I don’t know what those are yet. Surprise me!

Kristin Arietta – (Dinner auction) As you may know, Kristin has taken on the major task of putting on the Dinner Auction on March 20th. Somehow she has also found the time to be at our planning meetings and provided her valuable input. We intend to promote and raise money for this event at the Auction. Kristin is working with us on how that will be done and has come up with some great ideas. (I’m not crazy about that idea of wearing the running shorts to the Auction though!)

Ann Baker – (guidance and consultant) – Ann is our PTC President and has also been kind enough to be a part of this event and offer her wealth of knowledge and experience. This being my first fundraiser, having her direction has been invaluable.

Steve Stahlberg – (Sponsorship Consultant) Steve has provided his valuable insight to soliciting corporate sponsorship and helped mold our approach to fundraising. He is pretty well connected too!

There are many others who probably deserve to be on this list for their input. I have a long list of Franklin parents and friends who have offered their assistance. That kind of support is not only appreciated, it is also necessary. We will need many volunteers on the day or days of the event to pull the whole thing off and to tell you the truth that’s one thing I’m not worried about right now. Based on the feedback I’ve received from this community I have no doubt that we will have more than enough people coming forward to help make this happen.

I wanted to put this together to thank the people who have stepped up to put this event together. It has been a constantly evolving process where new ideas are implemented and new connections are made that shape the event. I’d welcome anyone who has an idea, a business sponsorship connection or who just wants to help to contact me at greg@gothedistancerun.com.

Gotta Run,

Greg