I’m running to benefit IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) and its Marine Mammal Research and Rescue program. I am the rescue team coordinator, and along with five colleagues and a network of over 300 very dedicated volunteers, we respond to over 218 cases of dolphins and seals in distress in southeastern Massachusetts each year.  We are dedicated to not only helping these animals but also learning more about stranded dolphins, whales and seals on Cape Cod - one of the world’s top hotspots for strandings.

Recently I was approached with the amazing opportunity to combine my passion for the work I do with running, the activity that gives me the strength to keep going during demanding rescue events.  I have been given the challenge of raising $2,500, and preparing myself for the 2012 Boston Marathon, all in less than seven weeks.  It is a short amount of time to do both especially considering the unusual season we are dealing with on Cape Cod.

You have probably heard in the news that this winter has been incredibly busy for mass dolphin strandings on Cape Cod – 179 dolphins stranded in just 36 days. This was the largest stranding in recent history in the northeast. Our team has worked tirelessly around the clock to save these animals - rescuing wayward dolphins trapped in mudflats, on sand bars, or shallow water and releasing the healthy ones back into deep water. Another element of our work is the research we perform. We gather as much data as we can to try and solve why these dolphins strand in the first place. In this case, there doesn’t appear to be one simple answer, but we are still searching.

The good news is that we have been able to rescue 75% of the animals found alive and release them back into the ocean – a rate higher than average and steadily increasing thanks to continued scientific research and revolutionary techniques pioneered by IFAW.

I’m very proud of our team and what we’ve been able to accomplish – but we need help.

With so many dolphins stranding in such a short time, our resources have been severely depleted.   We need funding to continue rescuing dolphins, to offset pending government cuts, and to learn more about why these animals strand.

This is where I need your help.

I will try to fit the marathon training in around our busiest winter of rescue responses ever, but I need your help in raising funds to support our program and all of the amazing work IFAW does throughout the world.  Thank you for considering a donation to IFAW to help animals in distress.

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW):

Founded in 1969, IFAW rescues and protects animals around the world. With projects in more than forty countries, we save individual animals, populations of animals and habitats around the world. We focus on improving animal welfare, fighting for anti-cruelty legislation and provide hands-on assistance, including rescuing animals in the wake of disasters and our stranding response and research on Cape Cod. In addition to our international headquarters based in Yarmouth Port, MA, we have offices in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and in Washington D.C.