Team C2C ING New York City Marathon RUN04HAÏTI

Team C2C 

ING New York City Marathon 

Run04Haiti

By Lindsay Muscato

On your marks, get set...launch!

Announcing Community2Community (C2C)’s Run04Haiti

Here at C2C, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our next event: the Team C2C ING New York City Marathon Run04Haiti, a fundraising campaign supporting C2C volunteer Jonathan Eustache, a Haitian-American runner who will be taking on the ING New York City Marathon on November 4th, 2012.

TEAM C2C is Jonathan’s cheerleaders and support team – he is the real engine behind our  RUN04HAÏTI campaign to raise funds for the C2C Haïti Restoration and Transformation Pilot Project (HRTPP) and we would love your help.

Who is Jonathan Eustache? Why is he running for C2C?

At first, Jonathan -- a 911 dispatcher raised in Brooklyn -- was no marathoner. He was just an interested Haitian-American, contacting C2C CEO+FireStarter Marie-Yolaine Eusebe about volunteering after reading about her in the Daily News. But soon a campaign evolved to merge help for Haïti with Jonathan’s newest passion, running. In 2008, Jonathan began running after doctors gave him two options for solving his back problems: lose weight or have surgery. By the time he had lost 36 pounds, he had begun to seriously improve his stamina and endurance. He had never tried to run a marathon before. But if it could raise money for Haïti, Jonathan was willing to try. He had lost a cousin and a close friend in the 2010 earthquake. By aligning with C2C, Jonathan thought his 26.2 miles could really make a difference.

3 Ways You Can Help Jonathan and Team C2C:

1. Come celebrate with us and pledge your support!  Show your support by coming to the launch event and making a pledge to sponsor Jonathan’s 26.2 mile run. The first 100 people to pledge $2.62 per mile will be entered a drawing to receive dinner for two at New York's hottest Haitian restaurants.  The launch kicks off on Wednesday, August 22nd at 6pm; at Copia NYC; 307 East 53rd Street in New York.
2. Come shout with us!  We will be on hand at each of Jonathan’s runs to cheer him on. E-mail events@community2community.info to find out details of where we are meeting. 
3. Spread the word.  Fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @C2CHaïti and #Run04Haiti and retweet our announcements about the launch and the run.

Look out for future blog posts on Jonathan’s upcoming practice runs; get great tips on diet, training and gear; and -- as always -- learn new ways to support our vital mission.

All proceeds from Jonathan's run will go to C2C for continued funding of the C2C Haïti Restoration and Transformation Pilot Project (HRTPP). The Run04Haiti is one in a series of events and fundraisers during 2012 designed to bring individuals and institutions together in a collective effort to pool resources in support of C2C’s Haïti Restoration and Transformation Pilot Project and the completion of its first initiative, a water treatment system bringing clean, potable water to over 16,000 people. C2C hopes to raise $13,624 in support of Jonathan’s marathon run.

Lindsay Muscato is a writer for Community2Community (C2C).