A Warm Heart In The Blistering Heat – My Charitable Mission To Death Valley

Friends, this July I am taking part in the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley. This 135-mile footrace starts at the Badwater Basin, at 282 feet below sea level the lowest spot in North America, and finishes about two-thirds the way up Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states. Yes, Death Valley in July, when the daytime temperatures could hit 130 degrees.

I will start on the last day of my 49^th year, and finish the next day when I turn 50.

I am footing the entire cost of this adventure myself. All travel, crew expenses, equipment, etc. I don’t believe it is right to ask others to help me pay for my “fun.”

At the same time, this is a rather epic ordeal, and I believe it should be associated in some way with a charitable initiative. Most of the other 100 people competing with me this summer agree, and are running Badwater to raise money for a number of worthy charities.

I have selected two charities which hold special meaning to me.

·        The Mid-Ohio Marine Foundation (www.momf.org). I first became involved with this group during my time working at A.D. Farrow Co. Harley-Davidson. The MOMF was formed after nearly two dozen U.S. Marine reservists from Lima Company 3/25, based in Columbus, were killed in Iraq in 2005. We did a variety of fundraising activities for the group, and I was asked to serve as a trustee, a post I still hold.

·        Always Brothers (www.alwaysbrothers.org). The group was formed by Marines to pay tribute to one of the fallen members of Lima Company 3/25, and has held several running initiatives to pay tribute to fallen Marines and to support their families. Last year my wife and I took part in the “100 Miles For Lima” run from Cincinnati to Columbus.

If you feel my attempt to conquer Death Valley this summer is worthy of your support, please consider a donation to my two charity choices – the Mid-Ohio Marine Foundation or Always Brothers. The groups will split all the money that comes in, so making a donation is easy – put one of the group’s names on the check, with Death Valley in the memo line, and mail it to me:

Darris Blackford

c/o Athletic Club of Columbus

136 E. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215

You also can go to either group’s website and donate via Paypal.  

Thank for your kindness, your support and your friendship as I celebrate my first 50 years this July 16^th  in what will end up being a very worthwhile, albeit warm, way.