Ambassador round up: Getting fit for a cause

Working out for your own health and wellness is great, but if you're looking for a little extra motivation, why not get fit for a cause? This isn't a new concept. Most people are aware that they can participate in runs, walks and other events to benefit various organizations, but the advent of the internet and the growth of social media have expanded the realm of possibility when it comes to getting fit for charity. Not sure where to start? Check out how the Girls Gone Sporty Ambassadors responded when asked about their favorite ways to get fit for charity, how to get involved and why their causes are so near to their hearts.

Events sponsored by a charity or cause

This is kind of a no-brainer. If you or someone you know has faced the challenge of breast caner, heart disease, MS or any number of other diseases, you are pretty much guaranteed to be able to find an event for that. Not only do these events usually donate a portion of the enrollment fee toward the cause you're competing for, they usually encourage you to raise money above and beyond the enrollment fee. When you set your sights on this type of event, you can find motivation in the fact that you're helping others overcome adversity, while also looking forward to spending a race day surrounded by other people who support the same cause.

How GGS Ambassadors are getting involved:

"I have done a lot of fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada....ran a marathon for it last year. And, I always try to run for Breast Cancer Research; just ran to raise money for a close friend of the family who got diagnosed." -Michelle, Push.Pump.Progress

"Cycle for Survival, sponsored through Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, raises money for rare cancers. And, 100% of the funding goes directly to fund clinical trials. Did you catch that? 100%, 100%, 100%! Not many of those out there! They raised eight million dollars in 2012. The event is supported by Equinox Gym and I do it each year. It's an eight hour cycling event implemented in a number of Equinox sites throughout the United States, but it started in New York!" -Dana Bratti, LilBeastyMomAdventures

Opportunities to compete in honor of a charity

While some events are sponsored specifically by a charity, other races allow you to raise money for the charity of your choice. While different races and charities set up their fundraising efforts in different ways, you'd be hard-pressed to find an organization that's going to turn your hard-earned money down! If your heart is set on competing in a specific event, but you want to also compete for a specific cause, check with the race organizer and the charity of your choice to ask about the best way to get involved.

How GGS Ambassadors are getting involved:

"My charity of choice is The Butterfly Foundation! I just completed my first marathon, and raised more than $2,000 for the cause through the Melbourne Marathon website. There aren't many organizations dedicated to eating disorders, and for a lot of us sporty women, we know EDs all too well. Let's help so that people never have to go down that path, and so that if they do, there's support available." -Kate Edney, Run with Kate

Kate's not alone in her support of The Butterfly Foundation. Jenn Palilla of FitAppetit said, "Kate Edney, I agree! I would love to get involved in an event with them in the future. I also love Cycle for Survival which raises money to support rare cancers, and The Breast Cancer Foundation."

>> Want to raise money for The Breast Cancer Foundation? Check out their options for hosting your own fundraiser! They even have a new fundraising website to help you raise money for your event.

"I haven't run to raise money for anything yet at this point, but will definitely look into that in the future! I would love to find something to help fund research for cancer since I had a brother-in-law to pass away this past April with pancreatic cancer." -Shannon Clark, I Run and Teach

>> Want to raise money for pancreatic cancer? Check out TEAMHOPE! You can sign up as an individual racer and compete in any event of your choice. TEAMHOPE will provide you with the tools you need to fundraise and track your progress as you train for your event.

There's an app for that

Seriously. There's an app for everything these days! If you want to raise money while you train, look no further than Charity Miles, an app for iPhone and Android platforms that allows you to track your training and earn corporate sponsorship cash for the charity of your choice. Bikers earn $.10 per mile and walkers and runners earn $.25 per mile. You can use this alone, or in conjunction with other fundraising efforts to capitalize your cash!

How GGS Ambassadors are getting involved:

"I am currently using the @CharityMiles App. I support the Michael J. Fox foundation for Parkinson's research! My Father in Law was diagnosed more than 10 years ago. I hope for a breakthrough for future generations. I also support the American Cancer Society and will hopefully be raising more money for them next year in hopes of cycling 100 miles!" -Kim Yates, Run Kimmie Run

This is also a great outlet for individuals who want to support a certain type of cause, but may not be tied down to a particular foundation. Ambassador Presley Salmon of RunPretty says, "Nine times out of 10, I'm going to support something related to schools, children, etc." This app makes it easy to browse causes within an area of support, choosing the one that's best for you.

Virtual events (they're the real deal!)

If you haven't heard of virtual events, well you're in for a real treat! Virtual events that are hosted online through personal websites, blogs and social media channels enable the fundraiser to raise money for a charity without having to go to the effort of organizing an in-person event. This opens up event organization to just about anyone and for just about anything! Depending on the virtual event, people who enroll typically agree to run a certain distance or perform certain activities in exchange for race swag that's provided for entering. That means if you want to participate in an event this Friday, but there's nothing in your town, you can probably find a virtual event to sign up for and participate in without needing to travel. How cool is that?

How GGS Ambassadors are getting involved:

"I am currently sponsoring a Virtual Run to help a friend who needs surgery and has to come up with 20-percent cash as a down payment, as he has no insurance. If anyone is interested, the link is here." -Louise Cunningham, RunnersRamblings.com

"I'll be running the Nike Women's Half in Washington D.C. with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. To help raise money I'm currently hosting the virtual 'Frosty's Cupcake' 5k, 10k and Kids' Run. This is my third virtual race so far!" -Darlena Kolpak, Run Find Your Happy Pace

Girls Gone Sporty Events

Girls Gone Sporty is also getting in on the virtual event action. Each month we'll be raising money to help support women's fitness goals and drams by providing a grant fund that's open and available to any woman, in any sport, anywhere! Check out more details on the Grant Fund and consider getting involved this month in our virtual event, #WickedWallies. It's just $10 to enter and one lucky winner will win 25% of the proceeds as free cash!

Header image credit: Sangudo, http://www.flickr.com/photos/sangudo/7230407026/sizes/z/