"Be the change you want to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi
Can you imagine the impact it would have if everyone put those timeless, poignant words into play? If we channeled our energies and passions into being part of the solution rather than being part of the problem?
Those words encapsulate the essence of this new campaign: The CARE Ironman.
I am underway on a quest to break the 9-hour barrier in arguably the world's toughest one-day sporting test -- the 2011 Hawaii Ironman World Championships -- to raise $1 million for a leading humanitarian organization: CARE.
I am doing this to test my limits and give it everything I've got. But the crux of this campaign is not about me at all. This is about you...and them.
I am doing this to inspire you to live your best life (by taking on your own fitness/fundraising challenge) -- and to eradicate poverty by empowering marginalized women and girls through CARE. I have always believed that training for an event on behalf of a charity dear to your heart will inspire you to live your best life -- as you help others live theirs. I also believe that empowering marginalized women and girls will unleash the greatest good our world has ever seen.
WHY CARE?
Beyond father and husband, my role as a CARE Ambassador is the proudest and most rewarding position I've held.
Last year, CARE programs improved the lives of more than 55 million people in 66 countries. They allocate an industry-leading 90% of all funds to people on the ground, so every dollar makes a difference. CARE not only feeds the hungry, and does emergency relief work, they help tackle underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient. Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change.
WHY IRONMAN?
HH, the Dalai Lama once said: "Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to achieve it." If that's true, then the Ironman can bring huge success. To do it well demands otherworldly sacrifice.
I plan to race this event and break the 9-hour barrier -- a feat only 27 people in the world achieved last year. At that hallowed finish line on Alii Drive in Hawaii -- in the warm embrace of my wife, daughter, new son, some close friends, CARE staff and children and their mothers from third-world countries -- I will present a check for $1,000,000 -- and not a penny less -- to CARE.
It will require a well-executed day -- and a well-executed plan. For that, I am seeking the advice of none other than two-time Ironman World Champion Tim Deboom, who I consider to be one of the finest athletes this sport has ever seen (he won Ironman by the largest margin in the last 20 years) -- and one of finest people the sport has ever seen.
HOW TO TAKE PART
Your donation will have the maximum impact where it is needed most. Every dollar is expertly-allocated, so no donation is too small.
It is seamless and secure to make a tax-deductible donation. Click the "SPONSOR US NOW" box below or, if you prefer, send a check directly to "CARE" and include "CARE/Ironman" in the memo field:
CARE USA
Attention: Beth Kuenstler/Million-Dollar Ironman
465 California St.
Suite 1200
San Francisco, CA 94104
Thank you for making a difference!
~Eric
P.S. I invite you to visit my personal Twitter page and the CARE Ironman Twiter page (for race updates). Thank you!