Janus Charity Challenge

As you know, I've been doing triathlons for several years now. Since my first triathlon in 2001, every year I've done at least one race whose entry fee goes 100% towards a charitable cause. Since 2005, I've also raised funds for a charity as part of a training team or as an extension of the funds raised by the race or I've designated my own fundraising cause.

Last year, for my third Ironman race, I joined the Janus Charity Challenge. Janus allows Ironman competitors to name their own non-profit organization that racers want to raise money on behalf of. The participating athletes are recognized at the awards banquent, as are the top fundraiser. Additionally, Janus will make additional contributions to the top athletes charities of as much as $10,000 on top of what the athlete raised. During the race, spectators will know which athletes are participating in the Challenge by their number bib being marked in a different color than the rest of the athletes (last year, it was red vs sky blue). My charity for last year was The National Geographic Society.

This year, I am again participating in the Janus Charity Challenge. I was having a difficult time deciding on which organization to contact about raising funds for this year. I was helped along in the process of deciding, when my father suffered a stroke this past November. After his initial treatment at the hospital, he was taken to The National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH). NRH was highly recommended by one of my teammates, as her husband was taken there following his stroke a few years ago. The folks at NRH treated my father wonderfully and his discharge was was quite emotional, as he really seemed to grow attached to each of the individuals on the team assigned to work with him.

If you would like to help me raise money for NRH, you can do so online at http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/lp09/nationalrehabhospital. If you wish to make donations offline, you can send checks made out to National Rehabilitation Hospital to me. If you make out a check, please put "Justin - Janus Charity Challenge" on the memo line. Send me an email at justin.durst@gmail.com to get the address that you should send your check to. You can follow my progress on my blogs at http://hokietriguy.blogspot.com/ and http://little-bits-of-fluff.blogspot.com/

If you would like more information on the Janus Charity Challenge, please email me any questions or visit their website at http://www.januscharitychallenge.com.

If you would like more information on NRH or their care of my father, please email me any questions or visit their website at http://www.nrhrehab.org/.

Support my fund raising efforts for National Rehabilitation Hospital

If that link doesn't work copy and paste:
http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/lp09/nationalrehabhospital