Another well attended run this morning. For the second Sunday in a row the main lobby at the L Street struggled to hold all the attendees. It's always wonderful to see that many faces showing up to deliver such great performance.

 

If you are wondering of what encountered us during this morning run, we are happy to report that the rain seized as soon as we stepped out the door, and the temperature was extremely comfortable for a 9.8 mile run. Besides our own Paul Mancuso was out again waiting for us mid way for some water and Gatorade. Thank you Paul once again!

 

Profiles in Giving

Running for a Cause

Wall Street Journal

 

Robert Reffkin rarely shows down. The 30-year-old New Yorker, a vice president in Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.'s private-equity arm, has run a marathon a month for the past two years and halfway through his goal of hitting one marathon in every state. It isn't about the exercise or travel. Rather, Mr. Reffkin is seeking to raise $1 million for nine youth organizations, some of which supported him as a child.

 

Mr. Reffkin, who was raised by a single mother in Berkeley, Calif., has pledged the money to organizations including prep for prep, which prepares minority students for elite high schools, and the education group a Better Chance. Mr. Reffkin credits A Better Chance, as well as the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and Summer Search, with leading him to an Ivy League school and successful career.

 

He now sits on the board of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship and is a past Summer Search board member. He also volunteers with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, which helps to prepare students of color for college admissions and internships.

 

Mr. Reffkin, who declines to say how much he donates financially to these organizations, says he wouldn't be satisfied with just writing them a check.

 

"One of the best parts about this while effort is that it has inspired other to give money, it has inspired others to run their own marathon fund-raising efforts, it has inspired others to get to know these programs that they otherwise would not have known," Mr. Reffkin says. "Giving a check is great, it's money, but it doesn't get more people to care about [ the groups], to know them.

 

Mr. Reffkin, who tracks his progress at running to support youngdreams.com, has run 26 marathons already and plans to hit 29 by year-end. So far he has collected more than $583,000 in pledges and $221,000 in donations (some patrons are waiting until he runs all 50 races before giving their money). He has vowed to make up the difference if he falls short of his $1 million goal.