For my event this month I signed up for the Heart of Gold virtual 5K to benefit the
Joyful Heart Foundation at virtualstrides.com. This charity was created by Mariska Hargitay who plays Olivia Benson on
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The content of the scripts, the work she did to prepare for the role, and the letters she received from her viewers opened her eyes to the epidemics of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Sadly:
One in three women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend
Every two minutes in the United States, someone is sexually assaulted
More than five children die every day in this country as a result of child abuse and neglect and up to 15 million children witness domestic violence in their homes each year
The mission of the
Joyful Heart Foundation is to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever. A worthy cause indeed...
The medal was a box of chocolates containing 11 removable chocolate charms. Some medals contained special prizes too (but not mine!). My goal was to break 37 minutes this month which I managed to do. I was especially happy that I motivated myself to complete it on a workday morning as well!
So I've managed a 5K each month now for the last 4 months which I'm really proud of. Now to book next month's challenge...;)
