Hi!
Did you know that the number of overweight or obese children in the U.S. has tripled since 1980? Did you know that overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults? Did you know that children born in the U.S. in 2000 have a 30-40% risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives? Did you know that, while national guidelines recommend 150 minutes of physical activity each week for elementary school students and 225 minutes for older children, only Illinois has a statewide requirement for daily physical education?

I recently became aware of these and other discouraging statistics and I've decided to do something about it: I'm running the ING New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009 as a member of Team for Kids. (26.2 miles)

Team for Kids is dedicated to raising funds to support New York Road Runners Foundation programs which combat childhood obesity and empower youth development via running and character building programs in low-income schools and community centers. These programs currently serve more than 75,000 children in New York City, throughout the country, and Cape Town, South Africa, all of whom participate in programs which provide unique opportunities for physical activity and academic and personal enrichment. (www.teamforkids.org)

I need to raise at least $2500.00 in order to secure my spot in the marathon. Any donation, big OR small, is greatly appreciated and will go a long way. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

TO DONATE PLEASE GO TO:

https://www.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/mar-programs/nyrrf/team/2009/donations.htm

IN THE TEAM FOR KIDS MEMBER INFORMATION SECTION, PLEASE ENTER:

ING New York City Marathon entry # 349678
&
Member's last name or team name: Caruso

Any questions, please feel free to ask! Thanks for your support!!!!

-Dana