Mitchell Mallette and Kristen Sheffield are committed to running their age in miles when they turn 30 and 25 in late August, respectively, while fundraising for two charities through an online campaign. PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTEN SHEFFIELD
Do you believe that happiness comes from what you give, not what you get?
A local couple has recently subscribed to that mantra and, with looming age milestones on their horizons, have decided to celebrate by kickstarting a fundraising effort for two different charities.
Instead of receiving gifts and celebrating traditionally, Mitchell Mallette and Kristen Sheffield are choosing to rally their networks to raise as much money as possible for the Piebird Farm Sanctuary and Pencils of Promise.
In turn, the couple will attempt to run their age in miles.
Easy for an athletic five-year-old, perhaps.
But the self-imposed challenge will see Mallette try to run 30 miles, while Sheffield will be gunning for 25 miles.
“Mitch knew for his 30th birthday that instead of getting presents and things like that, he wanted to give back, but we weren’t sure how that was going to manifest itself,” said Sheffield.
After Mallette stumbled upon the story of an elderly man who has run his age in miles even into his eighties, he decided to draw inspiration from the runner and committed to the idea rather quickly.
With neither participant having done anything like this before, the couple was working without a map and ultimately set themselves the ambitious goal of raising $3,000 by June 14.
But the campaign has taken off much quicker than anticipated and with more than three weeks left to go before the online effort expires, the couple are within $150 of their benchmark.
What’s more, each additional $100 donated beyond their initial fundraising total will translate into an extra mile run by each of them.
“To see it come to fruition is overwhelming and humbling,” said Mallette. “It's a shot of adrenaline each time we receive a donation. Each mile I run in training is made easier by the motivation of each person’s donation to the cause.
“We have been totally blown away by the selflessness of others,” the local social worker added. “It's a tremendously rewarding experience to observe the giving nature of others towards improving the world we live in.”
The full proceeds will benefit the Piebird Farm Sanctuary, an animal rescue farm facility in Nipissing, and Pencils of Promise, whose mission is to create a community around education by building schools, training teachers and funding scholarships for children in need.
The reason they chose those charities, they say, is because they represent a mix of their passions, as both have recently adopted a vegan lifestyle and value being able to give others the gift of education.
If they reach their goal, the two charities will get an even split of the proceeds and a full synopsis of the money’s use will be provided.
But raising the money isn’t the only comfort zone the pair are shattering.
With their fundraising target well within their crosshairs, Mallette and Sheffield now have close to 40 people to hold them accountable for their athletic endeavor.
Having never run more than ten miles in one outing, both aspiring endurance runners said they feel intimidated but inspired to accomplish what they set out to do.
“The thought of running 25 miles is incredibly daunting, but trying to push ourselves, push our comfort zones and grow is motivating,” said Sheffield, a former CIS volleyball player. “I think that’s where the best change happens: outside your comfort zones.”
If they hit their target, the run will take place on the last weekend of August, between Mallette’s birthday on August 22 and Sheffield’s on September 2.
The ambitious tandem have plotted out their tentative route, which will start in North Bay and end up at the Piebird Sanctuary. After crossing the finish line, the couple plans on presenting their donation to the organization.
The Piebird crew have also said they want to host a birthday party for them after they complete their physical feat.
“From a selfish aspect, the most rewarding thing about this would be setting a goal, pushing yourself and actually succeeding,” said Sheffield. “Just knowing that I was able to accomplish something that I previously would never have thought about doing would be amazing.
“But beyond that, giving the donations and seeing what it’s going to be used for is going to be really rewarding,” she added. “We haven’t even given them a donation yet, but seeing how thankful they are is so rewarding.”
For more information or to get involved in the campaign, click here: https://goo.gl/AcItM9
