Top 10 Reasons to Run in the Scenic City Charity Challenge 09

The Partnership is one of eight charities participating in the Scenic City Charity Challenge, hosted by the Chattanooga Track Club on Feb. 28th. We've got our game face on and we're ready to lace up our running shoes. We need at least 50 runners to register by Feb. 28th. We're calling board members, volunteers, staff, friends of staff, friends of friends of staff....and are strongly considering hiding in the bushes downtown and accosting random runners.

So why would you be interested in running anyway? We found Nike's Top Ten Reasons to Run and would like to share them with you for your enjoyment.

• 10 - So you can get up and run at 6 AM before work, when it is 20 degrees outside and all you want to do is sleep another hour, but you know that if you do, you’ll hate yourself the rest of the day.
  
• 9 - So your toes can get so ugly to the point that you’re ashamed to wear flip-flops.
  
• 8 - So you can tell someone your weekly mileage and get the response, “50 miles?! I don’t even drive that far!” And you can smile and fake a laugh like you haven’t heard it 900 times before. Or they’ll ask how you can enjoy running 26.2 miles and then call you crazy.
  
• 7 - So you can double or even triple your shower and grocery bills.
  
• 6 - So that the checkout guy at the grocery store gives you a weird look when you’re standing in line with three jars of vaseline.
  
• 5 - So you can do laundry three times a week and still run out of matching socks.
  
• 4 - So that your muddy, dirty shoes can start piling up outside your door because they’re too smelly to bring inside, and you can listen to your neighbors complain about it everytime you run into them.
  
• 3 - So that by the time one o’clock rolls around at work, you feel like curling up under your desk and taking a two hour nap.
  
• 2 - So you can eat a huge dinner and an hour later you’re hungry again.
  
• 1 - Oh, yeah…the health benefits.

But of course, the main reason why you should run in the Charity Challenge is to support the Partnership and our mission of empowering people to build better lives. We're doing serious stuff to support the community through crisis counseling, intervention, prevention and education. Learn more at www.partnershipfca.com.

Wanna Run? Go now to: www.sceniccityhalfmarathon.com

The Partnership and Bryan College hosted a seminar yesterday on Human Trafficking, featuring a guest speaker from New Scotland Yard's Operation Maxim Human Trafficking team. We had a great turn out in the afternoon session, from many community organizations interested in finding out what we can do in Chattanooga to prevent trafficking. Our guest speaker stressed how prevention is key, and that we need to monitor our community and raise awareness about trafficking to stop it from becoming a real problem.

Chattanooga Matters, formerly the Chattanooga Resource Foundation, is hosting a public forum on the issue at the Oak Street Center on UTC's campus, February 18th. You can get in on the conversation by visiting www.chattanoogamatters.org to learn more.

Bryan College is hosting their national conference on human trafficking beginning today through Saturday, at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. Visit www.bryan.edu to register online, it's free.

Check out this music video featuring Radiohead and a message about the cost of human trafficking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdrCalO5BDs

Calling All Runners

Run, Walk or Volunteer. The Partnership is one of eight charities participating in the 2009 Scenic City Charity Classic half-marathon and 5K walk/run. The event is Saturday, February 28th at Finley Stadium and we need you to participate! We need at least 10 volunteers and at least 50 runners to secure our spot in the event for next year.

If you would like to volunteer, please call Rosemary Miller at (423) 697-3830 or email rmiller@partnershipfca.com. Duties may include working in the water stop filling cups and handing them to runners, serving as a finish line attendant, working registration or food tables. Shifts begin at 6:30 a.m. and last until 1:00 p.m. The first 10 volunteers to sign up will receive an event t-shirt. Volunteers must work a 4 hour shift.

If you would like to run/walk, please go to www.sceniccityhalfmarathon.com and register. Registration for the half-marathon before Jan. 31st is $40 and $50 after the early bird. The 5K walk/run is only $20 before Jan. 31st and is then $25 after the early bird. Make sure to select the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults as your charity of choice! Register today!

If you would like to make a donation to the Partnership, visit my fundraising page by clicking here.

Good Samaritan Story is Uplifting

I just read a heart warming story in today's Times Free Press - Good Samaritan gives time to kids. The story is about a local woman named Phyllis Williams who has turned into a "third Granny" to the children living in her apartment complex in East Ridge. She meets them at their bus stop, she takes them sidewalk chalk and jump ropes to play with, and even makes them presents to give to their mothers on their birthday. The story is a bit sentimental, but it should be. Our community needs even more Mrs. Williams to go around.

It's not hard to get involved in your community. Just give our Volunteer Coordinator a call at (423) 697-3830 to find out how you can be a good samaritan, too.

What's Your Resolution?

A recent article in the Times Free Press discusses Chattanooga residents' top three New Year resolutions: losing weight, quiting smoking and reducting debt. All three directly relate to health, whether it be physical or financial. But let's not forget our mental health, which is closely intertwined with both our physical and financial health.

Stress and anxiety brought on by financial difficulties, family problems or other issues can directly impact physical and emotional well-being. As we all think about aspects of our lives we would like to improve this year, let's make sure we are getting to the real root of our problems. Is it the jelly doughnut that we're fighting, or is the real enemy an anxiety disorder with overeating and smoking an ugly by-product?

The Partnership has licensed counselors available to work with individuals and families who are struggling. Call (423) 697-7130 to schedule an appointment and really get serious this year about those resolutions.