Charity Miles

Hello friends. Specifically: Hello running/walking/biking friends. Do you like to work out? Good. Do you like to do good? Work out. I am not a big proponent of smart phones. I think they detract from human intimacy (not just sexual) and remove us from society. I do not do "apps," although my husband probably takes care of that for the both of us (Jurassic Park is a special favorite of his :]), but I have discovered an application I can get behind one hundred percent - or rather, get on(?). So whip out your smartphone and play with this app.

Charity Miles. For every mile you walk or run you earn 25¢ and bikers earn 10¢ per mile, up to an initial $1,000,000, to donate to one of the 9 charities Charity Miles features:

1. Achilles International
2. Autism Speaks 
3. Feeding America
4. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, & Malaria
5. Habitat for Humanity
6. The Michael J Fox Foundation
7. The Nature Conservancy
8. Pencils of Promise
9. United Nations World Food Programme

That's right, all your working out isn't just doing justice for your body, but for the world! And before you whine about spending $0.99 or some other tiny amount to do good? The app is free. You read me, free. Your cheap American breeding is giddy with excitement, isn't it? Mine certainly was!

Not only can I raise money for a cause I love, the more attention Charity Miles receives, the more sponsors and charities it can fund. Think of all your favorite granola charities that get less than their due that could benefit from something like this! And think of all the big corporations that would be doling out change to them, all because of you! So many. It makes my heart skip a beat.

Now, to be perfectly candid, I do not get out there and run as often as I like. But the app sits nicely on the screen of my phone for every such occasion as I have to walk (around the grocery store) or go on a run (I don't own a bicycle). And I am excited for this! It's wonderful to see good works keeping up with the times. I hope to see more of it.

"Now that I have seen, I am responsible."

Brooke Fraser, Albertine