“My name is Alex and I am 8 years old and I will be joining the 5K in Lake Placid, NY. I want to run for the Red Cross because you can give money to kids who lost their homes from tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, floods and earthquakes. It makes me feel grateful that I can help people. Please sponsor me and donate. Thank you.”
This was the humble plea that appeared on young Alex Gilbert’s CrowdRise webpage, a site that allows users to raise money online for their favorite charities. Alex created a personalized webpage to forward to his friends and family, who donated and left encouraging comments as Alex aimed to reach his desired $1000 fundraising goal. The Cumberland Head Elementary School student also used his afterschool time to solicit donations from local businesses to boost his online fundraising efforts.
Not only did Alex exceed his goal by $190, he raised more money than anyone else for the North Country Chapter’s “Run for the Red”—including corporate sponsors. Pretty impressive, especially considering the pint-sized philanthropist was only allowed to embark on his fundraising activities once he had finished his homework.
The “Run for the Red” was held last Saturday, October 4, at the Olympic Speed Skating Arena in Lake Placid. The event featured a traditional 5K Run/Walk around Mirror Lake, as well as a 400M Kids’ Fun Run and a free Family Emergency Services Expo.
In addition to his impressive fundraising achievements, Alex also ran his very first 5K, finishing in just over 33 minutes. Kimmy Venter, a spokesperson for the event, shared her thoughts: “The Run for the Red is a great event that supports the important work of the Red Cross in the North Country, and Alex’s campaign has made it that much more exciting this year!”
Pictures from the event can be viewed now on Facebook, and race results are available at www.redcross.org/NCCRunfortheRed. For more information about the programs and services offered by the North Country Chapter, or if you’re interested in volunteering at this location, please call (518) 561-7280.