Thank you for visiting my fundraising page! My name is Josie, I'm the Race Director for the Running with the Bears Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K.

I hope that you will support this event by making a small donation to Mountain Circle. Children and youth who have been abandoned, neglected, or abused deserve to go to a safe and loving home, and Mountain Circle helps makes this possible. In fact, since 1986, we have brightened the futures of over 2,000 children and youth in our care. Our approach is simple: Offer the best possible training to foster parents, provide 24/7 support by experienced social workers/mentors, and equip older foster youth with the skills they’ll need to be self-sufficient adults in the real world.

Last May, I was asked to create a marathon as a fundraiser for the foster children served by Mountain Circle. We only had three months to plan the event! Not knowing where to begin, I just... started running. After attending some big races in places like Sacramento, here is what I learned: In a lot of ways, marathon runners are just like you or me. Some are older than my grandparents, and others are pushing strollers. They are normal people who became athletes through determination and hard work. They set a specific goal and followed through. Tired? Too bad. Snow outside? Put on a coat. In short, you runners completely inspired me. For me, its not 26.2 miles- its putting on a big event in a small town, and for a cause that's totally worth all the sweat and tears. In August, we launched the Running with the Bears Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K (tagline: CHASE THIS!)- and we raised almost $10,000 for children and youth in foster care. It sure beats a spaghetti feed.
Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too! Hope to see you at Running with the Bears!