Why I’m Running Red…When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, my husband (at the time) and I were living in Dallas and felt compelled to be a host home to victims who were brought to the area and needed temporary housing. We opted to take in any single mother and her children, not exceeding three so that we would have plenty of space. When we took in a 26 year old woman, Erica, and her 3 year and 8 month old sons, we were overwhelmed with the support they had already received from the American Red Cross. We were prepared, and regardless were able to provide them with essentials to get back on their feet. However, their immediate needs were taken care of by members of this organization during this, a traumatic and chaotic time in our nation, and particularly at the local level.
When I decided to run the Chicago Marathon, I knew I wanted to run for charity. I saw that the American Red Cross had openings for runners outside the Chicago area, and immediately registered and continue to learn more and more about the good this organization does on a daily basis. The journey has already been enlightening and I can’t wait to bypass my goal and know that each dollar will benefit people like they did Erica and her boys during the aftermath of Katrina.
So please, consider supporting the American Red Cross through my journey to Chicago:
http://american.redcross.org/goto/ShannonGraf
