Get Up, Give Back - October/November 2011

Get Up, Give Back did AMAZING for October and November 2011! The train is on a non-stop trip to success! 

I'm so proud of the participants and the job they did. I've been taking some time to evaluate how to keep blogging during the month while still commuting between two different cities and handling everyday life. While it's been a tough few months for blogging, I think I have the time down now. Thanks for your patience while I have been organizing this campaign and getting it off the ground!

For October/November 2011, I had two participants in Get Up, Give Back. Here is who was representing the team this time:  

Kristy Richards (Twitter: @kristylight; Blog) 

Total Fitness: 31 Days in October/ 30 Days in November 

Amount Raised: $152.50 

Charity that the money will go to: Children's Hunger Fund

About the Children's Hunger Fund: Children's Hunger Fund (CHF) is a Christian non-profit organization found in 1991. CHF provides resources and training to local churches in the United States and in developing countries to help them meet the needs of impoverished communities. 

Megan Owens (Twitter: @megan_owens)

Total Fitness: 31 Days in October/ 30 Days in November

Amount Raised: $152.50 

Charity that the money will go to: The Trevor Project

About the Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

You should take a moment and go follow them on Twitter or other social networking sites. Both of these girls are so amazing. They can put a smile on your face and also others. They are truly amazing to work with.

What made Get Up, Give Back October/November fun was that I threw in a few twists.

For the first time, I decided to extend the contest an extra month. So, instead of 31 days maximum for a chance to give to charity, they had 61 days to get fitness in their life to change the world. It’s an amazing feeling to help others while helping youself. To know that you are making a tangible difference in people’s life it a great thing to have done. To know that because you decided to change your life and put some wellness in your life, you’re going to save lives. There’s nothing more awesome than that. Seriously. I've always been a believer in paying it forward. Use what you're blessed with to bless others. Making a difference in someone's life is a great feeling. I'm glad they had the chance to extend it out an extra month for 2 great causes.

The second twist that was thrown their way was that in November, Kristy represented BOTH her AND Megan. Megan was unable to participate for November, so in a first, Kristy was getting fitness in for both her AND Megan. Kristy was so excited for the opportunity to help the Children’s Hunger Fund; she jumped right into December and kept on going. Every day, I was would receiving Kristy’s updates. She was doing Zumba, going for walks, doing workouts at home, even taking a vacation and taking fitness global. She put so much effort in her journey and, in turn, helping Megan. Amazing! 

At the end of the month, it was an honor to award her and Megan each $152.50 to their charities!

The Children’s Hunger Fund wrote me a letter and sent a card thanking for the donation. According to their website, one option is that the money will go to feed a family for SIX months! How amazing is that? To think that for six months, a family isn’t going to have to worry about where the next meal is coming JUST because Kristy got some fitness in her life. Once again, awesome!

I received a Thank You note from the Trevor Project noting that with the money that we gave, now more teenagers that feel they don’t belong will have someone to talk to. We saved lives. 

And at the end, that’s what Get Up, Give Back is all about. It’s about saving lives. Saving our lives, Saving other lives.  

Congratulations to Kristy and Megan. You did a great job! It was an honor! 
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About Get Up, Give Back:

Get Up, Give Back is a program that will be in my first non-profit organization, Big Hearts. The idea is simple: Each month, two participants are tasked with working out. Each day, they report what they did. For each reported day, they receive $2.50 for the organization of their choice. At the end of the month, I will donate that amount to the charity. It’s a win-win situation. They win for working out. The charity wins by getting a donation.