Run or Walk Christmas Day 5k and/or New Year's Eve 5k

You’re invited to run, walk and/or volunteer Charities Challenge’s last Holiday Run Events for 2013, both at Como Lake in St Paul, on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. http://www.charitieschallenge.org

Wednesday, Dec 25, is the 8^th Annual Christmas Day – Joyful 5k experience at Como Lake in St Paul, MN. Start time 10 AM. This continues to be “The Biggest Christmas Day 5k in the USA”. http://www.charitieschallenge.org/html/christmas_day_5k.html

Tuesday, Dec 31, is the New Year’s Eve – Hopeful 5k experience at Como Lake in St Paul, MN. Start time 3 PM. Learn more about the last Holiday Run of 2013 & post-race party here http://www.charitieschallenge.org/html/new_years_eve_day_hopeful_5k.html

Looking for active gifts to give to family/friends that will run throughout 2014? Find at the CC web site the special reduced entry fee offer for the 2014 Holiday Run Series of 12x events and the 2014 Taking on All Challenges 8x Series of events. http://www.charitieschallenge.org

Throughout 2013 at CC’s RxExercise Events we celebrated the Power of RxExercise to improve the health and lives, and even the relationships of thousands, especially improving the lives of so many of us who live well beyond our health challenges due to chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer, depression, diabetes, or accidental serious injuries.

Christmas Day is a day to celebrate all those “Miracle Miles” so many of us have walked and run together in 2013, and to encourage our loved ones to join us by coming alongside us on Christmas morning for a fun walk/run.

  

If you're among those already pre-registered, Thank You! Perhaps you'll want to forward this invitation to more of your family & friends to join you, too.

Early Day-Before Check-In and in person Pre-registration option:

Check in the day before the race reduces the check-in lines on race day.

Early Check-In & Shirt and bib # pick-up is Tuesday, Dec 24 from 10 AM to 3 PM at Black Bear Crossings Cafe inside the lakeside pavilion on Como Lake.

Christmas Day – Joyful 5k Race Day Check-in for pre-registered, and race day registration, opens at 9 AM at the beautiful lakeside pavilion on Como Lake. Enjoy:

1. Long-sleeve commemorative shirt
2. Christmas Day 5k collectible ornament for first 250 registered
3. Happy holiday motivating music and announcer
4. Healthful tasty treats and a variety of hot beverages
5. Unique free fabulous photos and online slideshow
6. Miles of Smiles shared by families & friends Holiday Run
7. Beautifully "Ugly" Christmas Sweater Photos Contest - More fun!

For more inspiring “Christmas Day – Joyful 5k” registration  information, press release, online photos slideshows of past events, and even a great “History of Christmas”, go to http://charitieschallenge.org/html/christmas_day_5k.html

Any tax-deductible contributions added to your entry fee or sent separately will continue serving others’ RxExercise needs by supporting Charities Challenge year ‘round RxExercise Mission, Programs, Partnerships, Services and Events.

The Christmas Holiday Run Event has become for many of us a particularly meaningful, and memorable Christmas Day’s Families & Friends Tradition of RxExercise, because “Brighter, Lighter Days & Miles of Smiles Come with Sharing Our RxExercise Every Day”.

We CC Race Event Worker (CCREW) volunteers look forward to seeing you at Como Lake on Christmas morning where together we’ll enjoy an active “Miracles Miles” morning.

More CCREW are always welcome to join us in delivering another Holiday Event. RSVP if you want to join our rewarding experience as a CCREW volunteer. What a great active gift of volunteering you’ll be giving to so many others as a CCREW member!

ThanksGiving Day - GivingThanks 5k - Attitude of Gratitude Celebration (8th Annual) Review

Thanks to everyone who played an active part in Charities Challenge's 8^th Annual ThanksGiving Day - GivingThanks 5k - Attitude of Gratitude Celebration, at Como Lake in St Paul. Find and enjoy reviewing inspiring video and photos slideshow via this event page http://www.charitieschallenge.org/html/thanksgiving_day_5k.html

(Note as found at the above web page: As with all CC's wintry Holiday Run Series events from Thanksgiving to Valentines we do not record/report racing times. Instead we emphasize safety when pathways may be icy/snowy, and really emphasize sharing with family/friends running/walking RxExercise benefits to health and relationships around the holidays. Holiday can be unusually stressful and we want to start each significant holiday with a brisk walk or run, especially with loving family/friends. The large digital display clock will show everyone's finishing time, as will so many finish line photos.)

When measured against the big world of road racing events, many of which seek to grow in numbers into sometimes very big crowds, CC Events are intended to be boutique events with an upper limit of participation that keeps our events safe, more pleasant for everyone, allowing for more personally satisfying experiences shared by family & friends, many of whom are recognized by name by both fellow athletes and our CC Race Event Worker (CCREW) volunteers. CC Events are meant to be the “CHEERS” of road racing, “Where everyone knows your name”.

Enjoy remembering some of the morning's special experiences as you view the online photos slideshow while hearing again some of the 2013 ThanksGiving Day 5k theme songs, and the first-ever creative pro-video highlighting “Attitudes of Gratitude” seen and heard at this special Holiday Run.

The 714 images in the slideshow at 1 second per image will take about 12 minutes to view. I hope you find the music inspiring along with the images of so many sharing their walk/run with loved ones.

You’re welcome to freely copy any photos from the gallery “index”, add the photos to your digital photo files, and even send the photo(s) to family and friends via e-mail. And, like so many others, post your favorite photo(s) to your Facebook page, including at our Charities Challenge Facebook “Friends” page https://www.facebook.com/groups/41310607820/

When you view the photos slideshow you’ll see “Miles of Smiles” evidencing the Power of RxExercise (exercise as medicine) to cheer each of us even during these darkening days of fall into winter, and how sharing a run/walk even improves our relationships with loved ones who walk and run by our sides.

Thanks to about 20 CC Race Event Worker (CCREW) volunteers who helped produce last Thursday’s Holiday Run Event. Others are welcome to join our happy CCREW for any of our 21 Annual CC Events. CC volunteers can earn a variety of valuable CCREW Rewards for being so actively supportive of others’ RxExercise experiences.

Some CCREW also are earning fundraising credits to help cover CC’s cost to send them as RxExercise Ambassadors to Great Destination Events, like the Disney World Marathon, Kauai, and Ireland’s Dublin Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in August, and Honolulu Marathon next December. Go CCREW! And…Go RxExercise Ambassadors!

Thanks also to each of you who brought non-perishable food items, and a few who added cash donations, that CC delivered immediately following the event to Roseville’s Keystone Community Services. Thanks to CCREW member, Phil Face, for making that delivery.

By walking, running and/or volunteering with about 500 others at the ThanksGiving Day – GivingThanks 5k, you made an immediate difference in your own healthier-happier life, as well as so many others’ lives, by “Sharing the RxExercise Challenge” with families & friends. Walk and run with a year ‘round “Attitude of Gratitude”, and be ready to come back next year happier-healthier, faster and fitter than ever.

Before the New Year, you’re oh-so welcome to come back to Como Lake for the 8^th Annual Christmas Day – Joyful 5k, 

http://www.charitieschallenge.org/html/christmas_day_5k.html

and/or CC’s 5^th Annual New Year’s Eve Day – Hopeful 5k http://www.charitieschallenge.org/html/new_years_eve_day_hopeful_5k.html

You’re invited to keep up with Charities Challenge RxExercise News, Events and inspiring stories by adding Charities Challenge to your Facebook “Friends” https://www.facebook.com/groups/41310607820/