The Texas Independence Relay is supporting 3 causes in 2012 – Bastrop and their recovery from extensive losses from the wild fires of 2011, the Austin Track Club and their Olympic endeavors (both in running and in promoting health and fitness to Texas children), and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Please read through all three worthy causes to see how you may be able to best effect help and positive change for those in need.
Bastrop- Friends of the Lost Pines State Parks
Hearing about the Bastrop fires was surreal. After spending a good bit of time in Bastrop over the past few months, we got to know the beautiful state parks and the wonderful surrounding community quite well. Needless to say, it was very unpleasant to see the news reports and hear about how the area was destroyed by the fires. That said, our feelings must not have compared to those who live there, those who lost their homes, their belongings, their businesses, etc. The development of the fires was so quick that in many cases owners of animals were forced to simply open up their gates and hope that the animals would be able to find their way out. All told, over 1,500 homes were lost (a sizeable chunk of the entire community), and tens of millions (if not over 100 million) in property damage was sustained. Finally, only about 100 acres out of 6,000 in the state parks escaped from burning.
As bad as we felt, we can only imagine how it would be for those really dealing with these losses. However, having visited a few times since the fires, we have been amazed at how strongly the community has been pulling together. We have witnessed people who would have every right to be devastated decide instead to help neighbors who have been the recipients of even greater misfortune. What we have seen in Bastrop has been remarkably inspiring and a true testament of the Texas spirit.
It is an honor for the TIR to start in Bastrop, and we look forward to doing what we can to help the community! Won’t you consider joining us? Simply entering the TIR, staying at Bastrop hotels or B&Bs, and eating at their restaurants would be great. But, a wonderful way you could do even more would be to enter the TIR by Bundling In your team! Bundling In teams commit to raising $2K, which will go to the Friends of the Lost Pines State Parks, a well-respected organization in the Bastrop community, and to the Austin Track Club. When you decide to Bundle In, we will provide you with tools and strategies for raising these funds. It is 100% tax-deductible for anyone not running the TIR, and we believe you’ll even find it easy to accomplish your goal as many people want to help, but may not know how. Bundling your way in the TIR is the best way!
If this sounds great to you, just email us at Admin@TexasIndependenceRelay.com to let us know! We will reserve a spot for you in the TIR, and we will also send you a fundraising widget (which easily takes Paypal donations) and we will send you a link to your team’s own fundraising page!
Upon running onto the field before Bastrop High School’s first football game of the season – less than 2 weeks after the fires – the team ran through a large paper banner that said “From The Ashes We Will Rise”. They won the game, which surely gave the community a little respite from their troubles. But as you know, their recovery will likely mirror the length of time it will take the state parks to regain their former splendor… it will not happen overnight. When your team runs through the parks on March 31, you will be amongst the first to see how destructive the fires were to these treasures and will see that there is a long way still to go until the land and community is fully restored. Just as TIR teams are committed to finishing their relay, so to is the Bastrop community 100% all in to rebuilding. Won’t you please join us in helping them and bringing them the TIR’s own brand of Texas succor?!
If you would like to provide support by entering a virtual team or sponsoring a team, you can do that as well! Email us at Admin@TexasIndependenceRelay.com
Here is a link to the the Friends of the Lost Pine State Parks Facebook Page – Go ahead and “Like” them!!!
And, here is a video slideshow that shows what occured.
The ATC - Austin Track Club
Another cause that we would like to highlight and urge your team to consider Bundling In to the TIR with is the Austin Track Club. Since many of you run in clubs, you may be wondering, “I am not sure why I should be a bundler for the Austin Track Club?” Well, the Austin Track Club is a little different in that they are really really good (no disrespect intended towards you (smile))! In all seriousness, though, those in the Austin Track Club have running abilities that are FAR greater than the average joe, and they seek to represent at the Olympics. Furthermore, they actively promote fitness to school-aged children. What’s not to like about that?!
Many of you met Leo Manzano of the Austin Track Club last March – he is a wonderful advocate for the sport. Leo won the Emsly Carr Mile in London this year in 3:51! He won the right to represent the United States at the World Championships in Daegu, Korea. And, even when his medaling hopes at the World Championships ended when he sustained a hamstring injury in the semi-final, he continued to act with class becoming of a Texan. Leo is one of the “lucky” ones to have a Nike sponsorship. Others in the club who are also ridiculously fast and have exceptional determination to pursue their Olympic dream are not as well funded. It is a VERY tough road for super-fast post-collegiate distance runners because, on the whole, support is light and the challenges are great.
Will your relay team partner up with us to help the Austin Track Club and its members pursue the dream? We hope so. By bundling your way in the TIR by raising $2K in donations, and you will also be doing a great service towards furthering our great sport… right here in Texas! To get started, simply email us at Admin@TexasIndependenceRelay.com to let us know that your team intends to be bundlers, and we will get you on your way!
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is another cause that the TIR is pleased to highlight. This summer, Joy and Jay’s 10 year old son, Will, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Many noteworthy advancements have occurred in the past 50 years, but a cure certainly has not been found. Being utterly dependent on insulin, drastically changing dietary habits, and dealing with all of the entities in the medical field are aspects that all of those with Type 1 diabetes will contend with for the rest of their lives… unless the cure is found!
The JDRF has a slick team JDRF website that you can used to raise money for the cause after your team enters in the normal way! Also, there will be prizes for the team raising the most for the JDRF, as well as additional perks we will let you know about soon!
