How's this for an odd coincidence - just as I was looking at Chris (Goofy + 3)'s post about the races in Wisconsin and finding the CSSW Home Run and Walk 2012, I got an email from Bambi asking if I wanted to run it this year. Fate says: YES!
Bambi works at CSSW (Children's Service Society of Wisconsin, a division of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.) They are the state's largest private, not-for-profit provider of child welfare services. Among the services they provide are adoption and foster care coordination, children and family counseling, providing intensive in-home therapy, helping young adults that are transitioning out of foster care, providing guidance to parents, and providing safe places for children than have been hurt by abuse or neglect and providing resources for them to heal.
They use the 5k race on May 5th to kick off National Foster Care Month to raise awareness of the need for qualified Foster Parents and to raise money to support their foster care program. This hits home for us not only because Bambi is employed there, but our little princess Madison came to us through the Foster Care system which we were able to adopt her from.
(Oh, the "Home Run and Walk" in the race name has several meaning. Firstly, "home" for foster parents providing a home for children. "Home Run" since it's held a Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers. And "Walk" because, well, not everybody can run 5k. I just might be one of them.
)
So, I've now got 64 days to get back into 5k shape. Time to hit the road...