Running for the Rep and a Greater Cause

On Sunday, April 22nd 2012 I’ll be participating in the 36th running of the Toledo Glass City Marathon.  This will mark my 6th marathon over the course of my stellar (HAH!) athletic career that has included a broken ankle, a sprained ankle, a shattered heel (broken in 7 places mind you), stitches in the head, 2 weeks in traction, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, and more stress fractures to the shins than Carter’s got pills or Clinton’s got girlfriends.

So why do I run these marathons? Free Gatorade and bananas at the finish line!

Last year marked my slowest marathon to date as these 40-something-year-old legs don’t move nearly as quickly as they once did, especially with the additional middle-aged-man weight that has recently “snacked” up on me.

So you’re saying, “Hey Steve, what can I do in the comfort of my own warm home that same morning to give you some added incentive to get off your ever-widening backside at 6:00 am and trudge along for 26+ miles in an effort to prove something to yourself that really doesn’t mean all that much to anyone else?”  Well as hurtful as that was to me persoanlly I’m glad you asked yourself that question.

Here’s what you can do.  How about pledging a certain amount of financial support for each mile I complete, with certain incentives if I finish within a certain time?

For instance you could say, “Steve, I will pledge $2 for every mile you complete.”  By the way that means you’ve pledged $52 should I finish the 26+ mile course, but only if I finish.

But wait that’s not all!  Then you could add this, “However, if you complete the marathon in let’s say under 4 hours I’ll add another dollar to each mile, bringing my total pledge to $78. Or if you finish in less than 3 hours and 50 minutes I’ll add two dollars per mile. Or if you finish in less than 3 hours and 40 minutes I’ll add three dollars per mile”…and so on.

Now just so you know last year’s marathon saw me lumbering across the finish line in just a wee bit over 4 hours.  But in the interest of full disclosure I must also tell you my very first marathon, (the New York City Marathon back in 1991) saw me finishing at 3 hours and 14 minutes.  Sadly, that happening again is about as likely as me getting a hairstyle that isn’t stuck in the 80s.

And where does all this pledge money go? Well for starters to help defray my medical expenses after the marathon.  No, the money first goes to The Rep.  You’ll even make your check out to The Rep. And once we total all the pledges The Rep will then donate 50% to the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank.

Sounds like a great idea doesn’t it?  You’re helping two organizations and you don’t even need to get out of bed that morning to do so. Leave that part up to me.

Our goal is to raise $2,000.  $1,000 for the theatre and $1,000 for the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank.

So your next question is, “Where do I sign up?”

Right here!

We can accept pledges up to and including Thursday, April 19th until 4:00 pm.  And for any pledge I’ll list you or your company’s name on a special “Thank You” page on our Toledo Rep website throughout the month of May.
 
Thank you in advance for your anticipated support. And please encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to participate in this worthwhile fundraising event.

Steve Burnette, Artistic Director