The Run for Texas Virtual 5k/10k was an idea that started on somewhat of a whim. Kelly and I are just two of your basic recreational running moms who saw the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey and wanted to do something about it. We chose what many do--donating funds. We had seen that disaster relief agencies were unable to provide some basic supplies--even as crucial as diapers to families with small children, or to the elderly. We couldn't imagine living without the bare essentials in a dire time, and so chose to donate not only to the American Red Cross, but also to the Texas Diaper Bank.
When tragedy strikes, people naturally want to help, but it's easy to feel a bit helpless when you live far away or when you feel that your contribution may be too small to make a difference. We figured we couldn't possibly be the only ones who felt this way, and decided to give people an avenue to do something tangible from wherever they were in the world. We also knew there was strength in numbers, and wanted to use this to amplify our impact.
That was the basic idea behind our #RunForTexas campaign. We wanted to connect people together and raise some money for those in need. But we were not prepared for how far the running community took this idea.
To kick things off, we turned our little idea into a live virtual race website, posted about it on Instagram, and sat back to watch. Within 24 hours, we had over $10,000, and running magazines and companies began reaching out to help share the event. Each hour, our jaws dropped a little more as registration and donation numbers climbed higher than we ever imagined.
But the best part wasn't how much money our event was able to raise. The best part was that we had lit a spark and watched an entire community rise up.
We had running stores gathering their local customers, running clubs organizing group runs, and complete strangers sharing the event with their networks. Runners laced up their shoes across the States and in multiple countries around the world to come together for people they had never met. The infectious positivity, support, and excitement surrounding this event was absolutely incredible to watch, as was the flow of images on Instagram under the #RunForTexas hashtag.
The two of us are so proud to have started an initiative that brought so many people together for such a great cause. We went into this hoping to raise $500 to send to the Texas Diaper Bank and the American Red Cross, and raised 100 times more in less than a week. We are so inspired by you, and are so humbled and honored by your response.
With love,
Kelly and BethAnn
When tragedy strikes, people naturally want to help, but it's easy to feel a bit helpless when you live far away or when you feel that your contribution may be too small to make a difference. We figured we couldn't possibly be the only ones who felt this way, and decided to give people an avenue to do something tangible from wherever they were in the world. We also knew there was strength in numbers, and wanted to use this to amplify our impact.
That was the basic idea behind our #RunForTexas campaign. We wanted to connect people together and raise some money for those in need. But we were not prepared for how far the running community took this idea.
To kick things off, we turned our little idea into a live virtual race website, posted about it on Instagram, and sat back to watch. Within 24 hours, we had over $10,000, and running magazines and companies began reaching out to help share the event. Each hour, our jaws dropped a little more as registration and donation numbers climbed higher than we ever imagined.
But the best part wasn't how much money our event was able to raise. The best part was that we had lit a spark and watched an entire community rise up.
We had running stores gathering their local customers, running clubs organizing group runs, and complete strangers sharing the event with their networks. Runners laced up their shoes across the States and in multiple countries around the world to come together for people they had never met. The infectious positivity, support, and excitement surrounding this event was absolutely incredible to watch, as was the flow of images on Instagram under the #RunForTexas hashtag.
The two of us are so proud to have started an initiative that brought so many people together for such a great cause. We went into this hoping to raise $500 to send to the Texas Diaper Bank and the American Red Cross, and raised 100 times more in less than a week. We are so inspired by you, and are so humbled and honored by your response.
The biggest part was played by you, the runners. Without every single one of you lacing up and rallying, this event would have never been more than an idea. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for sharing, and reposting, and being a community that doesn't just sit back and watch but one that reaches out and acts. A special shout out goes to Andrea Barber who helped generate a huge amount of interest following her own post of our event. Our faith in humanity is soaring, and we have never been prouder to be a part of the running community.
We also want to thank the running companies and brands who supported our efforts throughout this process. We noticed a huge increase in activity after our event was shared through the social media pages of Oiselle, Inspiring Women Runners, Mother Runner Mel Coaching, and Bakline Running. Companies like Bakline, Momentum Jewelry, Nuun Hydration, and Detroit Metal Works also donated to our "swag bag" of virtual goodies. We appreciate you supporting our event and helping us thank our amazing runners.
Lastly, we want to extend additional thanks to Bakline for going above and beyond to support Run For Texas. Bakline's entire mission is dedicated to authenticity in engaging with customers, charitable giving, and community service. There is no doubt they are winning in all of those categories! In fact, the very first line of communication we had with them was "Hi, we definitely want to help! What would be of greatest impact for you?" They worked tirelessly to share our event across social media, offered to design an official race shirt for participants, and displayed all of the #RunForTexas photos beautifully in an official race photo album. They even stuck around after it was all over to help us summarize our event as you are seeing it now on their blog. Thank you Bakline crew for sharing in our excitement every step of the way, and thank you everyone for your support and friendship.
We also want to thank the running companies and brands who supported our efforts throughout this process. We noticed a huge increase in activity after our event was shared through the social media pages of Oiselle, Inspiring Women Runners, Mother Runner Mel Coaching, and Bakline Running. Companies like Bakline, Momentum Jewelry, Nuun Hydration, and Detroit Metal Works also donated to our "swag bag" of virtual goodies. We appreciate you supporting our event and helping us thank our amazing runners.
Lastly, we want to extend additional thanks to Bakline for going above and beyond to support Run For Texas. Bakline's entire mission is dedicated to authenticity in engaging with customers, charitable giving, and community service. There is no doubt they are winning in all of those categories! In fact, the very first line of communication we had with them was "Hi, we definitely want to help! What would be of greatest impact for you?" They worked tirelessly to share our event across social media, offered to design an official race shirt for participants, and displayed all of the #RunForTexas photos beautifully in an official race photo album. They even stuck around after it was all over to help us summarize our event as you are seeing it now on their blog. Thank you Bakline crew for sharing in our excitement every step of the way, and thank you everyone for your support and friendship.
With love,
Kelly and BethAnn
------------------------------------------
OFFICIAL FINAL STATISTICS
Total number of runners: 3,454
Total amount raised: $54,226 ($27,113 per charity) - Will be updated after the Race Tee sales are Final
------------------------------------------
BAKLINE DISCOUNT
As a thank you from Bakline, you can use the following coupon codes eligible for all Bakline gear:
Runfortexas: This gives you 20% off your order
Runfortexas25: This takes no amount off your order but we will donate 25% of the sale toward the campaign.
Remember that all proceeds from the Official Race Tee go toward the campaign anyway so this is code is relevant most for when you want to get other Bakline gear!
------------------------------------------
OFFICIAL RACE TEE - ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARD THE CAMPAIGN (Click on image)
