A number of charitable organizations offer programs where you can train and compete for a cause.

We live in a country where people can willingly and enthusiastically donate their time and money to worthy causes that benefit those less fortunate. And, for those of us that run, cycle, hike and make fitness part of our regular routine, we can participate in a sport we enjoy while raising funds for folks that can’t hike up that mountain or cycle over that pass. The hope and end result is that someday those folks with incurable and debilitating diseases can do the same.

Fitness philanthropies are becoming as much a part of the American culture as apple pie and baseball. Many of these all-volunteer driven philanthropies took root with parents or loved ones who endured the loss of a relative or friend to a devastating disease. They turned their grief into something positive, creating funding and organizations to help find cures and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.

One such organization is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), which originated in 1949 by parents Rudolph and Antoinette de Villiers as a fundraising and education organization in memory of their teenage son who died of leukemia. Today, it’s the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. To date, with the help of major fundraising campaigns such as Team in Training (TNT)—the world’s largest endurance sports training program—LLS has invested more than $550 million for research specifically targeting blood cancers.

Team in Training has set a standard as one of the most successful fundraising programs in support of a charity. Since 1988, more than 360,000 volunteer participants have helped raise millions of dollars in support of LLS. The TNT program provides training to run or walk marathons and half marathons, or participate in triathlons and century bike rides. The advantage for the beginning or even more advanced athlete is the ability to train and improve their fitness level while reaching the phenomenal goal of crossing a finish line of a major sports event. In addition to the fitness goal is the realization that their efforts are helping to save lives.

The newest fitness training fundraising program offered by LLS is the Hike for Discovery for people who love the great outdoors. The goal is to hike a challenging trail according to one’s ability level at a National Park.

Along with TNT, there are a number of other charitable organizations that provide fitness training fundraising programs to benefit their causes including the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), which is dedicated to finding the cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and the Arthritis Foundation. Like LLS, both of these groups are completely volunteer-driven with multiple chapters around the United States and Canada.

Crohn’s and Colitis runs a program called the CCFA Team Challenge in which participants train for a half marathon. The Arthritis Foundation’s Joints in Motion training program offers the chance to participate in marathons and half marathons at various locations.

Pick Your Program

Selecting a program may be simple for some of us. Perhaps you’re close to someone and are motivated to support them as in the case of Scott Caruso, CCFA running coach for the Team Challenge Rocky Mountain Chapter. Caruso met his fiancée, who has Crohn’s disease through a local running club.

“I never realized how this disease can impact someone as well as their friends and family. It took my fiancée quite some time to tell me that she had Crohn’s. For many it is a difficult topic to bring up and openly discuss,” he says.  The two of them will be running together at the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon on July 20 this year. 

If you’re an avid cyclist, maybe you would enjoy training for a century ride in a beautiful location like the TNT century in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. It’s a comfort knowing that the program organizers plan all the details for you including airfare, transportation and lodging. All you have to do is train, ride and complete your fundraising goal.

And there are those of us that would prefer a wilderness trail rather than a track or a road. Hike For Discovery offers the LLS Rocky Mountain Chapter two locations this year for participants depending on their chosen fundraising efforts: Rocky Mountain National Park and Yosemite National Park. This June I will be hiking at RMNP in honor of a few friends; this way I can contribute to the cure and do something that I love as well.

Whatever program you choose, you’ll have a training plan designed just for you to help you reach your goal of completing your intended event or hike. When you’re looking into a program, consider the following commitments:

• You’re encouraged to attend preliminary meetings in your local area at which you can ask questions and learn more about the program.

• Remember that every program is a “fundraising” event and that you’re committed to reach a fundraising goal in order to participate in the event.

The Training Process

Each fitness training fundraising program offers a chance to train in a supportive atmosphere with other like-minded individuals under the supervision of a highly qualified fitness coach.  Scott Caruso says, “My personal goal is to reach out to all the participants to make sure they are gaining the confidence and understanding to accomplish their goals. I intend on creating an environment that is fun, educational and balanced. Ideally through the program, participants will meet new friends, become more knowledgeable about working out and adopt a healthy lifestyle that meets their needs.”

The Colorado Springs TNT running/walking coach, Stephen Mitchell aka “Coach Mitch,” is in his sixth full season with TNT and is an experienced athlete who has participated in triathlons, running events and cycling for more than 30 years. He constantly requests feedback from his team of runners and walkers. “I ensure their experience is the best and safest possible. It’s important for me to set the stage for an experience of a lifetime,” he says.

Each coach has their own training methods based on their background. Coach Mitch employs the following as his recommended process for training participants: “We provide each participant with a tailored daily schedule based on demonstrated ability and a team training opportunity schedule for coach-supported and directed workouts. Then we provide continuous feedback to participants on their form, pacing strengths and weaknesses and goals. We employ endurance, pace, threshold, interval and repetition training in the program.”