FitSugar

Give Brand Bottled Water: Its Motto Is Drink Give. Do Good.

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:30:00 -0700

I'm not a huge user or supporter of bottled water since one bottle takes over 1,000 years to biodegrade in a landfill, and they leak toxic additives into the groundwater. So I'd much rather see everyone using reusable BPA-free, aluminum or stainless steel bottles. Sometimes you may not be able to use your own refillable bottle though, so if you have to purchase a bottle of water, think about buying Give brand.

Not only are the bottles biodegradable, but the water is bottled regionally and delivered to local stores, so that means reduced carbon footprint. And they're called Give for a reason. Depending on the bottle you purchase, you can choose which of the four charities ten cents of bottle's cost will go to support. To see which charities, read more.

Give Hope: To Women With Breast Cancer
Give Strength: To Fight Muscular Disorders
Give Love: To Our Environment
Give Life: To Children in Need

You can find Give water at Whole Foods and other health-food stores, Big Y, Price Chopper, Food Emporium, Scooter's Coffeehouse, and other stores. If you're going to spend $1 on water, it might as well be good for the planet and good for the people on it.

ACTivism: Medals4Mettle

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Finishing a marathon takes strength, stamina, and bravery - in other words, mettle. But mettle is not just a term applied to able-bodied runners; it also applies to folks dealing with life-threatening diseases or severe disabilities. Medals4Mettle is a non-profit organization created to honor those people who must endure personal marathons daily.

Medals4Mettle collects medals from marathon finishers and donates them to people battling diseases. Medals4Mettle celebrates our collective human courage, and our innate desire to reward and support each other as we face life’s challenges.

If you're interested in donating a medal you've received, visit their website to locate the chapter nearest you. This could be just the motivation you need to cross that finish line in your next race.

Soles 4 Souls: Donate Your Used Sneakers

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0700

If you're like me, you own a few pairs of athletic shoes for all your exercise needs. I have a pair for running outside on pavement, a pair for running in the woods, and a pair for tennis. When I buy a new pair of sneakers, I always hold onto the old pair "just in case." It's always good to have a back-up pair, right? Well you may feel differently when you think of the millions of people around the world who can't even afford one pair of sneakers. You can help by donating your old sneaks to an organization called Soles 4 Souls.

I know I retire a pair of running sneaks after I've clocked 350 to 500 miles, but the pair I wear on the treadmill hardly looks worn. If you have gently used sneaks like these, you can mail them to one of these locations.

Fit's Tip: Before sending along your lonely pair, why not compile a collection from your friends, family, and fellow exercisers? I even saw a donation box at my gym recently, so ask at your gym and see if you can set one up, too.

ACTivism: One World Running

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Running shoes are not cheap no matter who you are, but for some people they're simply unattainable.

Donate new, gently worn sneakers, and worn sneakers to One World Running - an international nonprofit program promoting an awareness of health, fitness, and nutrition by providing running shoes to those in need in the United States and around the world. They will take your new or gently worn sneakers and send them overseas to someone who needs them. The shoes that are a little more loved (aka beat up and not suitable for shipment) are sent to Nike to be ground up and made into running tracks and playgrounds through the Reuse-a-Shoe program.

Regardless, you know your shoes will be in good hands, and feet. Send all your sneakers to:
One World Running
958 Cherry Vale Rd.
Boulder, CO 80303

Source

Give the Gift of Sports

FitSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:00:00 -0700

I know that you still have dreams of dusting off that old softball bat in pursuit of greatness but let's be honest, your softball slugging days are over.

Instead of tossing it, dust off the bat and donate it to someone who can actually fulfill their sports dreams: kids! Sportsgift.org has already collected thousands and thousands of sports equipment for underprivileged children around the world and they're always looking for more. Not only will you be putting a smile on a child's face, but you'll also be keeping your old stuff from hitting the landfills.

Visit SportsGift.org for more information and a list of what types of equipment they need at this point. For a way to send your used equipment now by mail, just read more

Mail equipment you'd like to donate to:
Sports Gift 32545 B Golden Lantern, #478 Dana Point, California 92629

Source

How to Get the Most Wear Out of Your Sneakers

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0700

I know Earth Day was last week but that does not mean you need to stop being green. The thing with sneakers is that not only are they expensive, but in order to get the most out of them you should get a new pair every few months. That's a lot of sneakers in landfills. Brooks Running gives some great tips on how to get the most out of your sneakers. Some of these you may already do, and some you may not have thought of. They are:

Phase One: Your brand-new running shoes
First, enjoy your brand-new running shoes for 300 miles of pure running joy. Use their cushioning and resiliency to give you the perfect ride as you run day after day.
Phase Two: Transition to casual street shoes
Once they pass the 300-mile mark, those trusty running shoes make great casual street-wear. Pair them with jeans for a trip to the grocery store, an outing with your dog, or a day at the park.

There are more great ideas so read more.

Phase Three: Transition to work-around-the-house shoes
Of course, even casual street shoes begin to show signs of age over time. Offer them a change of pace by promoting them to lawn mowing, painting, or gardening shoes.
Phase Four: Retirement from active work life
You may think the next best place for your well-worn, around-the-house work shoes is the trash. But wait one minute! If they're still in good shape, those shoes have more life left to give. They can help someone in need when you donate them to charity. Find a local drop-off center in your community or ship them to a national organization, like Soles4Souls or One World Running.
Phase Five: A final resting spot
After years of use and wear, those running shoes are ready for their final resting spot in a local landfill. [At Brooks], if they have a BioMoGo midsole, parts of the shoe will be returned to the earth as reusable byproducts that can help grow trees and plants.

Source

The Blue Planet Run

FitSugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Running for a cause: Safe and clean water

The Blue Planet Run will cover 15,200 miles, across 16 countries and 4 continents, 24 hours a day for 95 days to deliver an urgent and important message: We can and must begin to alleviate the catastrophic burden placed on over a billion people who, every day, must drink unsafe local water, or travel long distances on foot to search for safe water for themselves and their families. Water is a basic necessity!!!

The run starts in New York City on June 1, 2007, when a team of 20 ordinary male and female athletes will run around the clock along a route that includes the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Belarus, Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan and Canada. Each runner will sprint 10 miles a day. Batons will be passed at over 1,500 exchange points. The Run will end right where is started, back in New York City, on September 4, 2007.

The event will be completely Earth - and people - friendly, imagine an event that becomes known as "The Race without a Trace." Visit BluePlanetRun.com to find out how you can get involved and to donate money for these efforts (100% of all financial contributions to the Blue Planet Run go directly into funding safe water projects).

Get Rid of Junk Food for Charity

FitSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Now that you've been reading FitSugar, you may be feeling a need to get those Twinkies out of the house, stat. Problem is your Mom always told you it's bad to waste -- Don't make me remind you that there are people starving in Africa...

Tomorrow, Saturday May 12th donate all your nonperishable goods to the United States Postal Service's annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. All you have to do is leave a bag next to your mailbox and your mail man (or mail woman) will take it to a local food bank. It's the only nationwide food drive, it's super easy to do and it's free so there is no reason not to get involved. Plus now you have a reason to get rid of those honey roasted peanuts, especially since that now you've recently switched to raw almonds, those peanuts will never see the light of day. Clean out that pantry to help others as well as yourself.

For more information, check out StampOutHunger2007.com.

MoonWalk - Uniting Against Breast Cancer

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Walk the Walk is a charity committed to raising money and awareness for breast cancer research and cancer care. They are also passionate about encouraging women and men to become healthier, fitter, and to take charge of their own well being.

One of their fundraisers is called the MoonWalk. It's taking place on June 16, 2007, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Not only are the men and women power walking throughout the entire night, they are doing it wearing decorated bras to raise awareness for breast cancer.

You can go to their website to register.

Fit's Tips: If you won't be in Scotland for the MoonWalk, you can still help raise money for breast cancer. Host your own fundraiser event and donate all the proceeds to the Breast Cancer Fund.

Want to see a video about "The Moonlight Walk to Kingsley Vale." Then read more

They're not in their bras, but they are walking through the night to raise money for diagnostic equipment for breast cancer.

Give Some One a Kick From Your Kicks

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 14:15:00 -0800

Were you gifted a new pair of sneakers this holiday season? Instead of chucking your old sneaks, donate them to someone who really needs them.

One World Running is a fabulous international non-profit program promoting an awareness of health, fitness and nutrition by providing running shoes to those in need in the United States and around the world.

To help provide shoes to someone who needs them, send your gently worn, worn or new shoes to:
Daily Camera Newspaper
Attn: Sports Department
1048 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302

To find out more, visit the One World Running website.