International Breast Milk Project Fundraiser

If your New Year’s Resolution involved exercise, promoting breastfeeding or being more charitable (or maybe even all three) then I have I got an idea for you! I learned from Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog that the International Breast Milk Project (IBMP) is holding a fundraiser on February 10, 2007. You might remember that the IBMP sends donated breast milk to babies orphaned by HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

A portion of the funds raised from a charity run/walk–a 2.6-mile mini-marathon–in conjunction with Run for Africa will benefit the IBMP (100% of the proceeds benefit water and nutrition programs in African villages). You can sign up and run your 2.6 miles outdoors or at one of the gyms and athletic facilities providing free access to a treadmill that day. In the United States, Bally Total Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness gyms are offering free entry to Run for Africa participants.

The suggested donation is U.S. $25 per participant. Participants will receive bright red race numbers to wear. When they complete the 2.6 miles they can report their times through the Run for Africa website to be eligible to win “dozens of finishers’ awards and prizes, including running shoes, computer watches, heart rate monitors, GoLite backpacks, and a year’s supply of organic milk from Organic Valley.”

Sounds like a win-win proposition to me! If you participate in the run, send me a picture of yourself with your red race number and I’ll post it here!