"World Run Day 2000 certainly opened some eyes – and obviously many hearts!"
A World of Thanks to all participants! By Bill McDermott It’s taken two millennia, but we finally have a brand
new day for running & charity: The world’s first 'International
Day of Charity' – World Run Day! The history of this annual
event has just begun, so hold on tight to those limited production
t-shirts! They may be worth their weight in gold some day!! Whether you felt compassion for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) in Kentucky, enjoyed a school lesson in health and humanity that supported Africare in California, or simply enjoyed a small race with family members alongside the Atlantic Ocean (New York) for the charity of your choice, you all did it - your special commemorative t-shirts and internet listings are all there to prove it! The Auckland Joggers of New Zealand , always the first to celebrate a new day (via proximity to the International Date Line), ran and donated on a rainy World Run Day. If the sun didn't light up the day, their spirit certainly did! The money they raised went to a local charity to help support handicapped runners. Many others chose to celebrate individually by running and donating to a favorite charity. A few of these symbolic stories are listed on our site, while many others remain private.... We'll do our best to capture the spirit of the day as information is supplied to us. Alas, our colorful souvenir event t-shirt made quite a hit judging by e-mail. Any funds raised will be used to spread the word by targeting the best running and fitness magazines on earth! (Note: We were in the June 2001 Issue of Runner's World - Racing Ahead section and soon to be in Running Times (Sept 2001), RRCA's Footnotes , The American Running Association Newsletter, and various other publications in the UK and Australia! Judging by the diverse locations that celebrated World Run Day 2000, the event was a great success! We look forward to a much greater event next year. Like many events, time eventually helps them blossom into mega events. Those who took part in World Run Day can look back some day and lay claim to it's event “roots.” In case you may be wondering, the biggest hurdle for us to overcome is responding to the oft-asked question: ‘Where is World Run Day being held? Our response of ‘everywhere’ leaves many people scratching their heads in puzzled disbelief. We're usually asked .."how can that be..?" New Programs are being developed for next year (2001) to help address this issue. Using the millennium celebration as our new guideline, World Run Day encourages special event directors to help plan for World Run Day nearby. We're hoping to have World Run Day - "your town" in many states and countries. We're also expanding our reach to newspapers throughout the United States (and worldwide) so that local charities may benefit. Our advice for the 2001 event: start your planning now! Help join us, you'll be rewarded! We'll help you construct a special event for 11/11/2001!
The concept of running in an existing race and simultaneously participating in World Run Day was a difficult concept for some. Thank God ‘World Run Day’ only happens once a year! In 2001, World Run Day occurs on November 11th! Mark your calendars! After 2000 years, new concepts
remain difficult to introduce! Our hats are off to Christopher
Columbus who wanted to prove that the world is indeed round. Of
course, people made him sail around the world to prove it.... but with
his beliefs and some determination, he
finally did it! Our tools of communication (e.g. the Internet) are much quicker, but
our determination to
get the message of this fantastic concept out to other people remains the same. If you are passionate about
running or charity (or both!), seize the day! There's a place for
all of us on World Run Day. Individual
Results Special pages for: In our second year, new runners came forth, new
concepts were borne, and new partnerships were forged. They all helped
to create another stepping stone for our upcoming November 11, 2001 event.
Please join us. |