Iron Challenge!

What if...

You had the power to immediately make a significant positive influence on the lives of 20 teenagers?

Would you use that power?

What if...

You had the opportunity to fuel the renaissance of a city that has suffered years upon years of urban decay?

Could you use that opportunity?

What if...

It only took a few minutes and could be done without leaving your computer?

Will you???

It's that time of the year again, and once again, I am taking the Iron Challenge to support Boys Hope Girls Hope (BHGH) of Detroit. Thank-you very much to everyone that has participated in the last couple of years and already helped to make a difference.

This year, with your support, I would like to provide Academic Scholarships for four (4) of our “Community Based Scholars” who are attending Cristo Rey High School in South West Detroit (www.detroitcristorey.org). I need to raise $16,000 to meet this goal.

Our Community Based Program is designed for children from stable, supportive homes where learning is valued but the families do not have the means to provide superior educational opportunities. BHGH provides Academic scholarships, mentoring & tutoring, enrichment opportunities and both financial & emotional support through college.

A couple of comments from our Community Based Scholars;

“Boys Hope Girls Hope doesn’t just help me go to school by giving me a scholarship; they’re with me every step and that's the best part, knowing I’m not alone.” -Jacqueline.

“People say because I live in southwest Detroit, I’m going to get into trouble, but I want to prove to them that people from southwest Detroit can stay out of trouble. I want to be the first of my sisters to finish school without dropping out. Boys Hope Girls Hope encourages me to finish school without second doubts.” –Gabriela.

So, here’s the drill. On Sunday September 11th, I will be competing in the Rev3 Ironman Triathlon in Sandusky, Ohio; 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run… Total = 140.6 miles or 226 km’s. How about a $1 per mile donation or donating at a minimum wage at $7.40 per hour for the 12 hour race???

This year, we have a couple of really cool ways to say “Thank-You” to you for your support;

1. For every $25 donation, you will receive a raffle ticket. After the event, we will raffle off 8 hours of hard labor by myself and a crew of hard working, volunteer BHGH Scholars. You can use this time to wash windows, do a yard clean up or some painting. Or… You could “gift” this labor crew to an elderly neighbor. What a great surprise that would be!

Sorry to the out of town donors, we can only travel within a reasonable drive of the city but will gladly make suggestions for needy recipients if necessary.

2. For every $100 donation, you will receive a Bottle of wine with a custom, BHGH Ironman Challenge private label with your name on it! This wine is from Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission Peninsula in Michigan.

3. Best of all, we are applying to a local foundation for a matching grant. If we receive this grant, every dollar donated will get doubled! Go big!

Thank-you for your consideration.