Dec. 16, 2018 – Washington Co., WI – Today, Sunday, Dec. 16, I completed 24 years, 350 days of not missing a day of running. That’s 9,115 days in a row and run No. 11 of the 25 Runs of Gratitude.
Over the years my daily runs have provided an opportunity for me to spend quality one on one time with relatives and friends. We have some vacation property up in Langlade and I usually run a 1.5-mile route that goes past a historical marker dedicated to the “Father of Wisconsin,” Charles De Langlade.
If I am running with a child, I always make them read the marker out loud. I tell them all the time that someday the information about De Langlade is going to help them get extra credit on a test or win a game show. So far no one has reported back that either has happened.
I was reminded of one of these runs last night by my goddaughter Delaney who is now a Junior at Conant High School in Illinois. She reminded me that her memories of that run were not good ones. She remembered doing the loop and reading the sign and on the way back to our property, on a slight downhill part of the run, the two of us collided and she crashed the bike. We were laughing about it last night but at the time Delaney was hurting. No treatment was needed besides some lovin from her parents. It didn’t have any long-lasting effects as she has grown into a fine young lady who, besides getting very good grades, also hopes to play soccer in college.
If you are looking for a solid defender, specifically a center back, that has played club ball all over the country, contact Delaney. As a bonus she can also help your team at trivia night, she knows valuable information about the Father of Wisconsin, Charles De Langlade.
Today’s run is for the United Way. I want to specifically talk about why to give to the United Way. I didn’t always believe it was valuable to give through the United Way. For years I gave directly to Lutheran Social Services. I used to work with Lutheran Social Services and I knew they were using my donations wisely.
It wasn’t until I served as Chair of the Community Impact Committee (CIC) that I learned of the value of the United Way. The CIC identifies pillars in the communities or areas of focus that need the services and programs United Way agencies provide.
Programs are funded for three years and each year a different pillar is up for funding renewal. United Way agencies are challenged to come up with specific programs that can measurably impact one of the focus areas. Community members come together to help review these proposals. We interview the non-profit and study their proposal, and we ask direct questions about their budget and measurable outcomes. Each committee member has a different area of expertise and may see things much differently than another community member. In the end, the committee comes to a consensus and a program is funded for a three year term.
Today’s sponsor Amy Salberg added the following about why she gives to United Way: “I support The United Way of Washington County because of the confidence I have in its process for vetting partner organizations to ensure the money donors give to it is well spent. As a business owner, I am frequently approached by numerous organizations for donations; it is difficult to find the time to investigate every organization that approaches me to ensure it will spend donated funds efficiently and effectively. Many organizations have missions that sound good on the surface, but may not use donor money as well as they could to impact the lives of real people. By giving to The United Way of Washington County, I can have confidence that the money I give is going to be used well because The United Way of Washington County has established a vigorous process to ensure the organizations it supports are efficient and effective in their use of donor resources.” She goes on to say “another reason I give to The United Way of Washington County is the ability to impact many organizations at the same time, some of which I may never come across directly but whose impact on the community is significant. I appreciate the opportunity to help impact organizations and individuals with a variety of needs by supporting one organization that can reach them on my behalf. This ecumenical focus is one of the same reasons I am involved in Rotary – to impact the community in diverse ways.”
Monday, Dec. 17 we run at noon to support Impact 211. The run will be held at the fabulous Washington County Fair Park and Conference Center. See you then!
