About a month into my training for the Chicago Marathon, I was ready to throw in the towel—I felt too busy and too tired to keep up with the training.  But then I received an email from my longtime friend and STEPS co-founder, Sara Hall, which reminded me that I decided to run the marathon not for the sake of running, but in an effort to fight poverty and improve the health of those in need.   

Since its creation two years ago, STEPS has funded a number of initiatives both domestically and internationally, targeting structural causes of poverty.  STEPS is currently focused on efforts in Kenya, including helping complete construction of, and provide supplies for, a hospital in the Rift Valley, and providing food to children through a school lunch program.  Donations raised from the Chicago Marathon will go directly towards these projects.

Although this is my second year partnering with STEPS to run a marathon, the training this time around has been twice as difficult.  For this reason, I’m hoping to raise twice as much money as last year, which totals $5,000.  To put things in perspective, this amount has the potential to fund lunches for 100 Kenyan school children for an entire year. 

If you have the means, please join me in this effort to fight poverty and improve health in needy communities worldwide. 

Thank you so much for all of your support.   

THE HALL STEPS FOUNDATION wrote:

“Fighting Poverty Through Better Health, from Chicago to Kenya”

The Hall Steps Foundation is delighted that our co-founder, Ryan Hall, will be running the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9^th. 

This year, in honor of Olympic Marathon Champion and former Chicago Marathon winner Sammy Wanjiru, our Chicago donations will go toward fighting poverty through health in Kenya. Ryan and Sara will be traveling to Kenya next year to train and explore opportunities for Steps to fight poverty throughout Africa.

Steps has already committed a grant to professional runner and Steps friend, Wesley Korir, to build a hospital in his home village in the Rift Valley of Kenya. Wesley will also be running in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon! Ryan and Wes are sending a message that world-class runners can compete on the roads, and join forces for a great cause after the race!