Run Wild Missoula Gives Back to the Community

Run Wild Missoula gives back to the community, not just by organizing races, training programs and other educational opportunities for runners, but also by making monetary contributions to other non-profit organizations.

Run Wild Missoula recently demonstrated its philanthropy by donating over $5,300 to Norawas de Raramuri, a non-profit that supports the Tarahumara—also known as Raramuri—running culture in the Copper Canyon in Mexico. Run Wild Missoula last week flew Micah True, known as “Caballo Blanco” in Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run, to Missoula to speak to over 600 people at the Wilma Theater about the Tarahumara and the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon he organizes. Thanks to admission fees, sponsorships and a raffle, Run Wild Missoula raised $5,344.89 to donate to Norawas de Raramuri.

This isn’t the first time Run Wild Missoula has raised money for another non-profit organization. A few weeks ago, the local non-profit running club donated $2,438.55 to the Missoula Food Bank. The funds came from Pumpkin Run 5K registration fees.
So far in 2010, Run Wild Missoula also raised $1,695 to donate to the Missoula Alteizer’s Support Group in honor of long-time member Anne Hayes, which came from Hellgate Village 5K registration fees in July; $310 for Hellgate High School Cross Country from February’s Scrumpy Jack Scramble; and $1,000 to support Missoula Youth Track.

Run Wild Missoula also recently donated $250 to Friends of the M Trail and $250 to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Wildlands Restoration Volunteers. In combination with the donations, Run Wild Missoula members also volunteered their time to maintain the M Trail and reroute a North Hills trail. The efforts were part of the running club’s goal to participate in trail stewardship projects.

These contributions would not have been possible without the running club’s giving volunteers and enthusiastic runners and walkers. Run Wild Missoula has 1,082 members to date, many of whom give countless hours to support running and walking in the community.

Run Wild Missoula is a non-profit running club which organizes the Missoula Marathon and a dozen other annual races, several training programs, seminars and clinics. For more information visit www.runwildmissoula.org.