Healthy Swellness: My #STWM ScotiaChallenge fundraising for Annex Cat Rescue

October 26, 2015

Who knew fundraising could be so motivating? My participation in this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge actually helped me shift my mindset from focusing on running 42.2 kilometres as fast as I could (and driving myself bananas in the process) to considering all of the incredible causes runners surrounding me had fundraised for.

When I decided to participate in the #ScotiaChallenge, I was a bit nervous. But, since I was planning to run the marathon regardless, it seemed like a great way to raise money for a worthy charity of my choice, Annex Cat Rescue, who received an $1,000 donation from Scotiabank.  

Feeling slightly sheepish leaving the donation up to Scotiabank without raising any funds myself, I used social media to ask my networks to support the cause. I also personally reached out to a handful of people who I know are animal lovers and/or are generally nice supportive folks.  I set my fundraising goal at $500, which I felt was quite lofty. But as the days went on, the donations came flooding in, from people I hadn’t realized were also passionate about cat rescues, and even a few friends I had never even met in person.

As time passed, I started to get more and more excited about fundraising for my race, knowing that I was getting to help cats in need. Cats, just like my cats Mya and Kobe, who if they hadn’t found homes, might have been put down. “I’m running for the cats!” I laughed in the days leading up to the race. It helped add a positive spin to what I was expecting to be a very physically draining marathon. It allowed me to distract myself from the fact I likely wasn’t going to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and focus on the good my racing was doing for a worthy cause.

To date, I’ve raised $1,155.00. I’m sponsoring $100 myself, which brings it up to $1,255.00. And I know I have a couple more donations coming through, which is much more than I’d ever dreamed of being able to raise. It gives me all of the feels, and I, along with the two cat rescues that live with me, would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who donated. This money will make a difference for some of the thousands of cats in need in the city. I’d also like to say thank you to Scotiabank for the generous donation to Annex Cat Rescue and for the chance to participate in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. This year alone, the Challenge raised over $3.1 million and counting for over 172 local charities, now that’s worth running for!

If you would still like to donate in support of Annex Cat Rescue, you still can! Just click here to do so and that’d be purrfect!

 

Filed under: Healthy Swellness

Tags: #scotiachallenge, annex cat rescue, cat colony, cat rescue, cats, feral cats, fundraising, scotiabank