Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you may know, I've been serving on the board of directors and doing legal work for an international nonprofit, Mountain to Mountain. We provide educational opportunities and other community building resources to Central-Asian mountain communities. Currently, our projects are centered in Afghanistan and include a deaf school in Kabul, a literacy program in a women's prison and a computer lab in a girl's school. As part of our massive fundraising efforts to get these projects off the ground, we are sponsoring our second annual Race for the Mountains in Breckenridge, Colorado on August 23. 

Despite being a 5k trail run up the side of a mountain, I somehow let all of the hardcore mountain crazies talk me into racing.  As most of you probably also know, I've been struggling with lupus for almost two years and up until five months ago I could barely walk up a hill, much less run up one.  As undoubtedly cheesy as it sounds, learning to live with a chronic and debilitating disease has forced me to recognize my overwhelming good fortune and to never again take for granted the opportunities, protections and quality of care that much of the rest of the world does not share.  

I am so grateful for all of the support that I have received from everyone over the past couple of years, and now that the dark sickness is in semi-remission, I'm asking again for your support - although this time on a much more optimistic note. Please support me as I run up the side of a mountain.  I'll be running to help build schools where there are none and because my doctors told me I'd probably never be able to run again. So take that Taliban, and take that lupus. 

And If you can't afford to pledge your monetary support, I'd love to have you run alongside me, especially if you're a big dude and can carry me up the last leg of this blasted race. 

Cheers and best wishes,

Megan

http://www.mountain2mountain.com