Reach Partners will join the community to show support for hundreds of charity runners who will race for a reason with our donation on May 5, 2014 during Marathon Monday, a 24 hour-give-a-thon. 

While both of us are participating during Marathon Week, we feel it’s important to show financial support for some of the many charities who change the face of the Fargo-Moorhead community.  The give-a-thon is an opportunity to raise awareness about the organizations, identify new donors, and secure more money for missions the charities serve. The 24-hour time frame seems like a sprint, but success requires a marathon effort before, during, and especially after to build on the accomplishments of the Fargo Marathon Charity Teams.

Thanks to the Dakota Medical Foundation and Impact Foundation for their work in developing the infrastructure for giving during such a large and all-encompassing community wide event as Marathon Monday.  The Fargo Marathon has set a goal of raising $200,000 for the 30 Fargo Marathon Charity Teams that go the distance to alleviate hunger, find cures, provide underprivileged kids with shoes, shelter and much needed support.

To make a secure online donation on May 5, Marathon Monday, go to: FargoMarathon.com, click on “Donate.”

Marathon Monday is jointly sponsored by Fargo Marathon Events, Dakota Medical Foundation, and the Impact Foundation. Every Marathon Monday donation goes directly to the charity donors choose to improve lives.

We all need mentors, mentors of all different kinds. We need business colleagues, who are also friends, someone to call or text when something wonderful happens or something not so wonderful occurs.

I challenge you to mentor someone or find someone to mentor you. Expand your inner circle.  What do you have to offer? Can you listen to other’s concerns? What area in your life do you want to grow? I challenge each of you in the next month to reach out and take a colleague to lunch or ask an acquaintance or someone you volunteer with out to coffee.

Then, I want to hear from each of you. I want to know how that felt to connect and form deeper relationships.  I want to personally hear about my challenge to you to expand your inner circle. I look forward to your phone call or email.  Seriously.

I send my congratulations to Michelle Killoran, CFO of Scheels who was the Woman of the Year recipient in the category in which I was nominated. Also, thank you to the YWCA for providing the space to honor remarkable women of our community year after year.  I can’t wait for the next one.  

Anita, Reach Partners

Barbara Christianson of The Speak Well Being Group and Reach Partners have worked together for many years. She assists the Women’s Health Conference planning committee in connecting with many wonderful keynote speakers.

Her blog shares the latest news in event planning and keynote speakers for conferences, women’s health and wellness events. I contributed to her latest post, “For Your Well Being: Meetings – Stress Less?” from the Speak Well Being blog.

Anita, Reach Partners

You're good.

Do you have a HBB File, right?
What, you mean you don’t know what a HBB File is?!

Credit for the name HBB File or Hit-By-Bus-File goes to Pete Seljevold. Pete and I have worked on a number of annual events over the past 4 years. Each year, days prior to the event, we create the HBB File.

Emergencies happen. What happens if all the details for the day are in one person’s head or in personal files and that person is unable to set-up or attend the actual event?  The day would not run smooth, I guarantee. It is never a good idea for only one person to have all the information.

The HBB File contains the finalized details the event staff or planning committee should know in case someone gets hit by a bus, or there is weather in Denver, or someone loses their voice.  Planning for risks and emergencies is one of the most important jobs of being an event planner.