Connecting fitness and charity
The ninth season of The Biggest Loser began last night on NBC with the heaviest group of contestants ever in the history of the show. The trainers are daunted by the task in front of them while the premier hinted at the possibility of a season filled with deep emotional issues. After all, most people do not get to be 400-some pounds just because they like food. And if the creators are true to their evolving mantra that The Biggest Loser is a movement to change people's lives and not just a game show for obese people, we should get to see some interesting and compelling story lines.
For those at home who have weight to lose, the show is again sponsoring its Pound for Pound Challenge. Those who sign up for the challenge, pledge to lose weight and for each pound they pledge to lose, a pound of groceries will be delivered to a local food bank through the organization Feeding America.
It's one of the connections that can help jump start many people's resolutions to live healthier lives. And for many women, the charity connection is key to starting and maintaining a fitness routine. It may be just anecdotal, but when races or fitness events have a charitable tie-in, women seem most comfortable participating. The reasons? It could be the non-competitive nature of those events. Or it could be that it creates for some women (and some men) a valid reason to take time away from work and family to exercise and train.
And if your journey to fitness and perhaps into athletics begins with a charity event, there are plenty available.
If you want to go big, this summer will feature Wheels to Wells, a cycling event to raise money for wells in North Africa to bring clean drinking water to 40,000 people. The event is looking for riders to bike the entire event -- a cross-country venture -- along with participants to cycle week-long portions of the route.
On a more local, and less intimidating scale, there are fundraisers in Western New York. The Ride for Roswell opened its registration for the annual fundraiser for Roswell Park Cancer Institute held this year on June 26. The event, which begins and ends at the University at Buffalo's North Campus, features eight different routes, from 3 miles to 62.5 miles, although the website suggests that a 100-mile route may be added this year.
Also on the bike, the annual Tour de Cure to benefit the American Diabetes Association is June 5 from Niagara County Community College. The six routes range from a 6-mile family fun ride to a 100-mile ride.
If walking is more your speed, the 14th Annual Hospice Buffalo Memorial Walk is scheduled for May 23. The 5K walk begins and ends at the Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf.
Want to focus on running? The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is a 5K run on June 12 from the Delaware Park Rose Garden which draws hundreds of participants, including breast cancer survivors and first-time runners.
For bigger fundraising dreams and the chance to train for and travel to significant half marathons, marathons or triathlons, try Team in Training or Team Cure Challenge.
Team in Training is the standard bearer for helping people through their first (or latest) endurance event while raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Based on the same model, Team Cure Challenge raises money for Roswell Park Cancer Institute and includes training for local events, including the 8K Shamrock and Turkey Trot and the Buffalo Half Marathon and Buffalo Marathon.
Meanwhile, most local 5Ks and regional triathlons have a charity tie-in, making the ability to connect fitness and athletic challenges with giving back to the community a pretty easy task.
It's just a matter of selecting your charity and event and completing the registration. If the cause is close to your heart, the motivation to do those workouts will never be difficult to access.
--- Amy Moritz
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