Get Up, Give Back - September 2011 (Mid-Month Update)

Wow!

This month is off to a supernova of excitement for Get Up, Give Back.

To start, as promised, I donated money to Bethany Vale and Dave LeBlanc's charities of choice (click their names for their Twitter accounts). There is nothing better than loyalty and pride. I'm so proud that Bethany Vale and Dave LeBlanc, as well as myself, took the initiative as the first participants of Get Up, Give Back and not only lost some weight over the course of the month, but we did it for a reason.

We help ourselves in the cause of helping others simultaneously.

I'm so glad that they stepped up to the plate and handled business. And as loyal to them, each of their charities was given a donation on their behalf. The ASPCA received $70 on Bethany Vale's behalf and the American Heart Association received $60 on Dave LeBlanc's behalf. I felt great that each side of this program did what needed to be done. Now, animals are being cared for longer because of Bethany Vale. And because of Dave LeBlanc, we can do more research, care and recovery for heart conditions. All because they decided to get up and get fit.

It's quite awesome when you put it into perspective.

This month's participants, Christa Diehl and Theresa Ihrig-Gause are off to a furious start. Each has reported fitness numbers everyday. These ladies are looking to break records this month.

So far, Christa Diehl has burned 33,464 calories!

Theresa Ihrig-Gause has walked approximately 67,000 steps (30 miles).

And we are not even halfway through the month! They not only inspire each other, but are inspiring me and the world. People are rooting them now from the Twitter world, the Facebook world and other friends and family.

And that's the heart of Get Up, Give Back. They are getting healthier and putting fitness into their daily regimens, but also, doing it for a right reason, while getting others to join. I'm already so proud of these ladies, as well as the past alumni. They are really doing the right thing in the big picture.

I also decided to throw in an extra challenge this month. I challenged each participant to a little fun, to not only spread the word of Get Up, Give Back, but to showcase their passion of life.

Each one has until the end of the month to complete a video challenge. If completed, a $25 additional donation will be added to their charity.

Christa's challenge is to video record an exercise to a song of her choice, with her daughter, Ella. Here, she will be able to not only showcase her fitness talents, but also introduce us to her daughter and show that exercise is a family affair. We look forward to Christa's video at the end of the month as part of the September close-out!

Theresa's challenge was to create a karaoke-remake of a Top 40 song to a Biggest Loser theme. Theresa completed it in less than a day. Her video has 90 hits already and it's only been a few days! AMAZING! Now, more people are getting a chance to here a message in a familiar song and maybe even get up and go to gym or just dance. She's changing the world, with just the power of vocal inspiration. She did great! And because she completed it, she instantly received $25 to her 5K for the Alzheimer's Association.

I look forward to the rest of September to see how they do! :). Just wanted to tell everyone I am proud of them. I am proud of us. We're making history here. Now, celebrate and get up, give back. Go make your life and your future important to yourself and for others.

With that note, I'll leave you with Theresa's video, part of the Get Up, Give Back challenge. I give you, "Move Like Harper!"