Before I was the homeschooling writer mom of 5, I used to love to walk all the time as a stress reliever and to stay in shape. I'd take my lunch break at work and head to Broadmoor Park in Mission, KS to fit in as many laps as I could handle.
Walking is something you can do as a parent anytime, but now that my youngest is 6 and my oldest is 14, it's a lot easier for me to fit in time for my own fitness. Over the winter I walked some at the gym on the treadmill and track. Now I can walk the neighborhood or the field at the school by my house. I'm not a jogger or a runner yet ... special equipment needed for my upper lady parts ... but might be someday! For now I walk in my OOFOS sandals because they are the most comfy thing I have ever worn and work perfectly for summertime. I also walk in my special tennis shoes I got at Elite Feet in Leawood (please and thank you mention me and I get a $10 credit if you make a purchase!)
Because I love walking so much, AND the fact that all walks/runs I post benefit a charity, I'll be posting upcoming walk/runs in Kansas City as I find them. This does not mean I'll be participating in all of them, so don't show up expecting me to sign copies of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook or anything. I MIGHT or MIGHT NOT be there, depending on household funds at the time, Mr. Kerrie's travel situation, my sanity level, etc. Enjoy the race info, and go out and find some in your town!
What: Noah's Crown Town 5K
When: Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 7:30 a.m.
Where: Corporate Woods, 9401 Indian Creek Parkway, Overland Park, KS
Contact: Ryan Zimmerman, 913-669-6656, ryanzchat@gmail.com
Noah’s Bandage Project
Noah’s Bandage Project has two goals – 1) to help provide cool and fun bandages to kids that need them, and 2) to help raise funds for pediatric cancer research.
As a cancer patient, Noah Wilson soon discovered that a bandage is a pretty significant thing. Often times, kids are allowed to hold onto a bandage during uncomfortable procedures, and when they are all done, they get to put the bandage on as a final sign of completion. Once the bandage is on, it means they are through – for the time being.
Also, Noah realized that hospital gowns all tend to look the same, and when the chemotherapy makes you lose you hair, even the kids start to look the same. But the bandages you are wearing, those are the cool things that you wear that lets you stand out. The plain old brown bandages get the job done, but they aren’t fun! Noah quickly recognized that the kids that are going through what he is going through, could really use all the fun they can get.
That is where Noah’s Bandage Project comes in. He thought, ‘Why don’t we ask if people would make donations so that hospitals could have more cool and fun bandages for more kids?’ So, driven by his new task, Noah created his first sign, got his first tub for collecting bandages, and got to work. Little did he know how big this idea would become.
Through Noah’s efforts, his bandage project has helped hospital administrators see the need and importance of increasing their supply of these cool and fun bandages for kids. He’s already helped to provide thousands of bandages to hospitals that were in short supply. These bandages have also been given to families to take home, free of charge! He also realized that these bandages could go to places other than hospitals as well, and has helped provide bandages to many organizations that support kids. With numerous TV, newspaper, magazine, and online interviews and mentions of Noah’s Bandage Project, his simple, yet pure hearted message of wanting to help kids like him have a little more fun in their lives has reached farther than any initially thought was possible. Noah also learned that when it comes to funding cancer research for kids, there is very little support. In fact, only 4% of our national cancer research budget goes to kids…4%!! So, Noah wanted to help in this area too, and takes money that is donated to his project and turns it into grants for pediatric cancer research.
Would you like to help put a smile on a child’s face? Whether you know a child suffering from cancer or not, we would welcome you to make a donation today and join the mission to bring some smiles to some much deserving children.
Fun facts: my uncle used to coach track at a high school in Lee's Summit for many years, my dad walks daily, and my 11-year-old daughter is now doing track for the Holy Cross Hornets!P.S. I get my info from the fabulous KC Running Company website.
On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.
When you're all done, you'll be hungry! Grab a copy of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook and whip up a batch of happiness for dinner!
