Filanthropy Friday

I could not possibly tell the story of Sherry Arnold better than it is told here; but as with all Filanthropy Fridays I do my best to explain why I feel compelled to give to this cause. 

Sherry Arnold was a 43-year old mother, wife, math teacher and runner.  On January 7th around 6:30 a.m. she went out for a run in the small town of Sidney, Montana and never came home. She is presumed dead and two men have been arrested in her disappearance.   

Sherry's cousin, Beth, is a runner, blogger and mother and she has been chronicling the story on her blog - Shut Up + Run. If you start reading Beth's blog from around January 8th - forward you can read the entire story.  It is both heart-breaking and uplifting.  Beth has received supportive comments and emails from fellow runners and bloggers from all over the World.   

Beth has planned a virtual race (including race bib) for tomorrow, Saturday, February 11th to honor Sherry.  She has asked runners to make a  small donation (if they are able) to help support Sherry's children, Holly and Jason.  I know if anything ever happened to me, I'd want my community (of runners, family, friends, bloggers and misfits) to take care of Cub. 

I decided to give $1 for every mile I've run since January 7th - which I calculate to be around 85.10 (including the 12 miles I plan to run tomorrow during the virtual race).  I think Beth said it best on her blog:

We have so many emotions. As mothers, runners, and teachers,  we fear it could have been us. Our hearts break for her students, her family, her community. We feel things we don’t know how to express and we cry for someone who we have never met. We hope she did not suffer and we hope that she found peace in her final moments. The human connection often feels deepest during tragedy. These past three weeks this connection has been alive, pulsing and powerful. The goodness has poured out of each and every one of you, demonstrating that good overpowers evil.

I have encouraged all my running friends to run (jog, walk, pedal or po-go) tomorrow in Sherry's honor.  I didn't know her and I don't know Beth, but I'm certain she deserves my 12 miles.