This Is the Way to Do a 10K!

This morning I got to participate in a 10K walk for March of Dimes. I have never done a March of Dimes event before, but I really enjoyed it and would do it again! I joined a group at the invitation of one of the Young Women in our ward, and I was so excited to see that among the nine of us, we raised over $1,500 to go toward support and research to ensure the birth of healthy babies.

Here's our group, "The Marchin' Moms," most of whom were ladies I hadn't met before the day of the walk, but the cute young woman is Libby, from my ward, and the cute lady that looks just like her is her mom, Vickie, who I also serve with in Young Women. Next to me in the photo is my good friend Mary, who drove down from Portland for the walk.

It was so great to have my friend Mary there. Not only did the time pass so quickly being able to chat away, but it was inspiring to be with her to support this cause, since Mary's little 16-month-old Max is the survivor of two open-heart surgeries, so Mary understands the blessings of support from groups like March of Dimes. It was so neat to talk about her Max as we walked and to have people ask about the buttons on her shirt, one with a picture of sweet Max's smiling face, and one that said, "I love my Mighty Max!" All of Mighty Max's supporters made Mary one of the top fundraisers in our group -- way to go, Mary and Max!

Earlier in the week as Mary and I were planning our walking attire (I know, we're so lame), Mary mentioned that she almost wished she had a fanny pack. So look what I whipped out from my mission days -- a purse of mine that doubles as, you guessed it, one hot fanny pack. As they usually do, it came in very handy to stash all of the loot we collected for our kiddos. Looks like the '80s might have been on to something after all!

Thanks to everyone who supported me in my walk. I know these are tough times for most everyone financially, so your donations really touched me. I'm sure there will be so many families who will be so grateful for your generosity, too!