At 6:00am Pacific Time, on July 13th, I will I will line up with 89 other athletes from 17 countries to begin the odyssey known as the invitation-only Badwater 135-mile Ultramarathon.
Badwater is toughest race in the world according to National Geographic. In case you are interested, here is NG's list of toughest races: http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/03/top-ten-toughest-races-text/7
Feeling most alive when experiencing extremes, I will be out there in the Death Valley desert suffering a little for those who are suffering a lot in Haiti and other countries our Caring House Project Foundation is working in (http://frank-mckinney.com/caring_project.aspx).
Today, I ask for your support in sponsoring me by donating $1 for every mile of the race, or $135. Your donation will provide 1,350 meals to the starving from around the world as we are able to provide life saving meals for roughly $0.10 each. Yes, that's right, 10 cents per meal!
Put another way, the average size of a family in Haiti is eight. Therefore, your donation of $135 will feed that family for nearly 2 months!
We have set up a three easy ways for you to make your donation:
1) Online: https://m143.infusionsoft.com/cart/?product_id=157
2) Call Anne at 561.722.3950 with your credit card information
3) Mail your check to: Caring House Project Foundation, P.O. Box 388, Boynton Beach, FL 33425.
As I struggle toward the finish line, I will draw upon the strength in knowing you have helped those who are literally eating clay patties for sustenance. Often a mother will take a bouillon cube, add clay and water, and feed these "dirt patties" to her children. With your help I will recall the images of the hopeful, as they now line up to receive their nourishing starches and vitamin enriched proteins.
Many of you are already supporters of our Caring House Project Foundation, and for that I thank you. Many are new to my involvements outside of real estate and being an author. Would it be too much to ask that you consider donating $135, or $1 for every mile of my Death Valley race? This is one of our primary fundraisers for the year.
1) Online: https://m143.infusionsoft.com/cart/?product_id=157
2) Call Anne at 561.722.3950 with your credit card information
3) Mail your check to: Caring House Project Foundation, P.O. Box 388, Boynton Beach, FL 33425.
A little more about the Badwater Ultramarathon (www.badwater.com), you can see my personal message on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxk468S7jPA :
Badwater is a 135-mile ultramarathon footrace that starts in the Death Valley desert in July where air temperatures exceed 130 degrees, and ground temps are 200+ degrees. It traverses 135 miles through the Mojave, over three mountain ranges and is run on blacktop pavement.
I will pass through landmarks with names such as Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil's Cornfield, Devil's Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, and Lone Pine.
The start line is -282' below sea level, the lowest point in western hemisphere (hell), and finishes nearly 8,500' above (heaven).
The race is run non-stop and must be finished in less than 60 hours to avoid disqualification. There are no aid stations. Each participant must bring an entire support crew of up to 6 people. Without my all-star crew of Nilsa my wife, Bob my brother, Martie my sister, Kimberley CHPF's Executive Director and Jill Anderson a Badwater veteran, there is no race.
On average, only 60 or so of the 90 invitees are able to finish, many who don't, end up hospitalized, or worse. The race is run in the most brutal conditions imaginable.
Since the inception of the race in 1977, only 42 have officially finished the race 4 or more times. I will attempt to be the 43rd. To put it in perspective, over 1,100 people have reached the summit of Mt. Everest.
The final chapter in one of my three new bestsellers, "The Tap," (www.The-Tap.com) is titled "The White Line From Hell To Heaven." Here is a short excerpt:
"Each footfall across the desert is akin to a rebirthing. The forty-eight hour gestation period leads to a new, raw outlook on life.
Your mind shifts, your body cries out, and your soul is cleansed in two days' fire when nothing else matters but your survival, your relentless forward motion, and the people who are supporting you in the race.
The race is a spiritual touchstone for me. Running, walking, and dragging myself through this race has been the single best metaphor for living that I've found. Whether you're a runner/athlete or not, you can certainly relate to the ups and downs that so closely mirror life's own triumphs and trials.
Having Badwater become a part of my being has caused me to reflect and then distill the lessons I've learned while chasing the white line from hell to heaven.
We all have our own Badwaters, our own goals and aspirations that lay themselves on our hearts. They pierce mere desire and result in passionate and "tunnel-visioned" pursuit. Are you willing to understand and commit totally to whatever your Badwater represents?"
I believe we must be responsible stewards of God's blessings. One of my favorite scripture passages is from the gospel of Luke that reads: "To whom much is entrusted, much will be expected, to whom more is entrusted, more will be expected."
Receiving an invitation to participate in Badwater I believe I have been blessed with the responsibility to share that opportunity with those less fortunate.
Those blessings are shared through our Caring House Project Foundation as we create entire villages based upon self-sufficiency by providing housing, food, water, medical support and opportunity for the desperately poor and homeless from around the world, particularly in the Caribbean, South America, Africa and here in the USA.
To date our Caring House Project Foundation has provided shelter and a self-sustaining existence to over 4,000 homeless men, women and children from around the globe.
Click here to watch a recent FOX News feature on a trip we made to Haiti:
http://frank-mckinney.com/frank_mckinneys_mission_to_haiti.html
or watch the same video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxNWpwOhriM
Again, here are 3 easy ways to make your $135 donation:
1) Online: https://m143.infusionsoft.com/cart/?product_id=157
2) Call Anne at 561.722.3950 with your credit card information
3) Mail your check to: Caring House Project Foundation, P.O. Box 388, Boynton Beach, FL 33425.
Beginning on July 13 visit http://www.badwater.com/2009web/ to watch a live webcast of the race. Updates are spotty as reception is challenging in the middle of the desert.
We will also try to send out our own race updates via FaceBook and/or Twitter.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely, Frank
