Melinda cheers on her Backups to raise over $9000 for Malaria No More at the Nashville Country Music Marathon
April 26th, 2008 – The weather outside may have been chilly, but the forecast was both warm and bright in Nashville this past Saturday as 30,000 runners took part in the Nashville Country Music Marathon – including a team of Melinda’s Backups™. Melinda Doolittle herself was out on the streets of Nashville to support her Backups, who raised more than $9000 for Malaria No More by competing in the marathon.
Melinda’s Backups™ fielded a team of runners and cheerleaders, who traveled from as far away as the UK to raise money for Malaria No More, a charity with which Melinda works very closely. All runners proudly completed the race for which they had entered (either the half or full marathon) despite many of them having never previously participated in such an event.
Inspired by the opportunity to save lives, as well as by Melinda’s continual support of the international Malaria No More charity, members began training five months ago. The team of runners and cheerleaders supported each other daily in our community forum, offering training tips and schedules, advice for the marathon, and words of both wisdom and encouragement. The training process was long and sometimes challenging, but all members served to support and inspire one another. Through both donations and sponsorships, the Backups team was able to raise more than $9000 for the charitable organization, as well as to increase awareness of the foundation and the work that it does.
Touched by the Backups’ efforts and hard work, Melinda made it a priority to be in Nashville to cheer on her supporters in person, arriving in Tennessee the night before the marathon and meeting with both the runners and the cheerleaders. The talented singer proudly stood on the streets of Nashville during Saturday’s race, cheering on her Backups and serving as a source of motivation and inspiration for them all.
“I don’t know how to put into words exactly how grateful and honored I am,” Melinda said, a bright smile on her face as she talked about her supporters’ participation in the marathon and their quest to raise money for Malaria No More. It is Melinda’s own dedication to the charity that inspired the Backups to participate in this race.
“As fans and supporters of Melinda Doolittle, [we have] particular interest in helping to promote her charitable causes,” explained Sara, one of Melinda’s supporters and the person who first proposed the idea of forming a Backups team to take part in the marathon. “Malaria No More is a cause close to Melinda’s heart, so we want to do our part to help.” Maria, another of Melinda’s Backups™, joined Sara in organizing the team of runners and cheerleaders who gave both their time and effort to help raise money for such an incredibly worthy cause. She expressed the thoughts of many of the runners and cheerleaders, as well as those who made monetary contributions to the cause but could not be in Nashville in person for the event.
“This charity has definitely impacted me,” she said. “I no longer think I am helpless or that I can do very little to make a big impact on people in need.”
Melinda’s Backups™ did indeed make a gigantic impact on people in need through their participation in the Country Music Marathon. The more than $9000 raised will provide over 900 bednets to people in Africa, helping to protect them against malaria. The Backups’ diligence, dedication, and devotion is yet further proof of what Melinda shows everyone by her shining example – that if you dream big, anything really is possible.
Please join our community to read the inspiring stories of the runners and cheerleaders.
ABOUT MALARIA NO MORE
Malaria No More is a non-profit organization committed to ending malaria deaths in Africa. Malaria No More is a cause very close to Melinda Doolittle's heart and we are pleased to do this in her honor.
Malaria No More’s mission is simple: to end deaths due to malaria. The world has known how to beat this disease for more than a century, yet it remains the number one killer of children under five in Africa, claiming more than 1 million lives a year. Malaria No More works to raise the profile of the disease among the public, policymakers, and businesses, while engages the private sector to provide life-saving bed nets and other critical interventions to families in Africa. Learn more at MalariaNoMore.org.
Join us by running or walking and/or donating and getting others to participate as well!
"DREAM BIG" Eph. 3:20 - Melinda Doolittle
Do it again next year
Many of this years runners have pledged to repeat the experience next year. Why don’t you join them and run or walk the full 26.2-mile marathon or the 13.1-mile half-marathon next year on April 25th 2009.
until the
Country Music Marathon
DONATE!
Participate by supporting the Melinda’s Backups™ Team of runners and walkers as we raise funds for Malaria No More!
In order to allocate the funds directly to this event, you may choose to donate two different ways:
PAY PAL: You may send your donation online via PayPal to mnm@melindasbackups.com.
CHECK: Or send a check made payable to "Malaria No More" to:
MNM Marathon
P.O. Box 72053
Louisville, KY 40272
All donations to Malaria No More are tax deductible.
Please email us if you have any questions or need assistance.