Running for Mental Health Research
Tax deductible
1 IN 4 AMERICAN ADULTS SUFFER FROM A MENTAL DISORDER EVERY YEAR
My name is Erick Martínez Juárez (23), and I am incredibly excited to carry out this fundraising campaign for mental health via the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) as I train for the Jacksonville Bank Marathon on January 3, 2016!
Why Running?
Trailing off of my cross country years at Bainbridge High School, my passion for running has steered me into the world of long-distance. I have competed in two half-marathons and two full marathons over the past couple of years. My love for running acquired a deeper, more emotional meaning after the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013. Although I was not participating in the famed 26.2-mile event, I was in the vicinity of the Boston Marathon finish line when the bombs exploded and witnessed the chaos that happened thereafter. Being so close to such a tragedy and seeing the city of Boston and the running/sports world come together has ever since inspired me to qualify for and run in the Boston Marathon in honor of the victims. I came VERY CLOSE to qualifying (finishing under 3:05) for Boston in my first ever marathon but, alas, finished seconds shy of the qualifying mark due to cramps (3:05:15). My second marathon had a similar ending, but I am optimistic about the Jacksonville Marathon and hoping that the third time really is the charm!
Why Mental Health?
Having just graduated from Harvard University as a neurobiology (pre-med) concentrator, it comes as little surprise that much of my academic interests lies in the brain/mind and, as such, that mental health is at the forefront of medical issues of special concern for me. Now, I do not want to belittle the importance of other health-related charities that raise money for rampant physical diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. However, through this fundraising campaign, I would like to shift much-needed attention to the importance and urgency of MENTAL diseases/disorders, which are, unfortunately, often subtly ignored due to the stigma that comes with being diagnosed with one. This stigma leads to a negative cascade of effects such as a lack of support and seeking treatment, social exclusion, and discrimination. Mental health awareness--from simply sharing facts and dispelling myths about mental illnesses to getting to know folks with mental disorders--does wonders to alleviate this stigma and will surely be a fundamental part of this challenge.
Why BBRF?
The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly known as the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)) is an accredited 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in New York, NY, that is "committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding [NARSAD] grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research." More specifically, the BBRF awards these grants to those working to make discoveries in understanding the causes and improving the treatments of mental disorders such as:
-depression
-schizophrenia
-anxiety disorder
-autism
-bipolar disorder
-attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
-post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Over the past quarter of a century, the BBRF has contribute more than $340 million worldwide to more than 4,000 of the best scientists in the world.
Through gofundme.com, all of your donations will go directly to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. Although the Jacksonville Marathon will take place on January 3, 2016, donations will be accepted by January 6, 2016 to allow for additional contributions based on my marathon performance!
Find out more here: https://bbrfoundation.org/about
Final Words
To put it simply, MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS. And it should be given more importance in society for the simple reason that it is very common and affects millions and millions of children and adults ever year. I've met many a friend who has struggled with depression or ADHD and have seen just how much the disorder obstructs daily life. We've all seen it.
Unfortunately, it takes drastic events nowadays such as mass shootings and suicides across college campuses to spark conversation about mental health. As soon as the event has its 15 seconds of fame, this conversation retreats back into hibernation, waiting for the next tragic headline. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE.
This is the essence of why I am challenging myself with this fundraising project for mental health. By supporting the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, I want to do my small but meaningful part in the fight against mental illness by raising awareness and providing crucial funding to the crux of the matter: brain research. By helping to discover the root cause of PTSD or autism and potentially find cures, I hope to do my small but meaningful part in reducing college suicides, making school shootings a thing of the past, ridding our veterans from trauma-induced PTSD, improving the social lifestyle of autistic kids, and getting the homeless off the streets.
Stop the stigma. Keep the conversation going. And let's help change mental illness as a sign of weakness into a badge of perseverance and strength.
THANK YOU, and I hope you join me in the fight!
#MindOverMileage
My name is Erick Martínez Juárez (23), and I am incredibly excited to carry out this fundraising campaign for mental health via the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) as I train for the Jacksonville Bank Marathon on January 3, 2016!
Why Running?
Trailing off of my cross country years at Bainbridge High School, my passion for running has steered me into the world of long-distance. I have competed in two half-marathons and two full marathons over the past couple of years. My love for running acquired a deeper, more emotional meaning after the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013. Although I was not participating in the famed 26.2-mile event, I was in the vicinity of the Boston Marathon finish line when the bombs exploded and witnessed the chaos that happened thereafter. Being so close to such a tragedy and seeing the city of Boston and the running/sports world come together has ever since inspired me to qualify for and run in the Boston Marathon in honor of the victims. I came VERY CLOSE to qualifying (finishing under 3:05) for Boston in my first ever marathon but, alas, finished seconds shy of the qualifying mark due to cramps (3:05:15). My second marathon had a similar ending, but I am optimistic about the Jacksonville Marathon and hoping that the third time really is the charm!
Why Mental Health?
Having just graduated from Harvard University as a neurobiology (pre-med) concentrator, it comes as little surprise that much of my academic interests lies in the brain/mind and, as such, that mental health is at the forefront of medical issues of special concern for me. Now, I do not want to belittle the importance of other health-related charities that raise money for rampant physical diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. However, through this fundraising campaign, I would like to shift much-needed attention to the importance and urgency of MENTAL diseases/disorders, which are, unfortunately, often subtly ignored due to the stigma that comes with being diagnosed with one. This stigma leads to a negative cascade of effects such as a lack of support and seeking treatment, social exclusion, and discrimination. Mental health awareness--from simply sharing facts and dispelling myths about mental illnesses to getting to know folks with mental disorders--does wonders to alleviate this stigma and will surely be a fundamental part of this challenge.
Why BBRF?
The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly known as the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)) is an accredited 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in New York, NY, that is "committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding [NARSAD] grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research." More specifically, the BBRF awards these grants to those working to make discoveries in understanding the causes and improving the treatments of mental disorders such as:
-depression
-schizophrenia
-anxiety disorder
-autism
-bipolar disorder
-attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
-post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
-obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Over the past quarter of a century, the BBRF has contribute more than $340 million worldwide to more than 4,000 of the best scientists in the world.
Through gofundme.com, all of your donations will go directly to the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. Although the Jacksonville Marathon will take place on January 3, 2016, donations will be accepted by January 6, 2016 to allow for additional contributions based on my marathon performance!
Find out more here: https://bbrfoundation.org/about
Final Words
To put it simply, MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS. And it should be given more importance in society for the simple reason that it is very common and affects millions and millions of children and adults ever year. I've met many a friend who has struggled with depression or ADHD and have seen just how much the disorder obstructs daily life. We've all seen it.
Unfortunately, it takes drastic events nowadays such as mass shootings and suicides across college campuses to spark conversation about mental health. As soon as the event has its 15 seconds of fame, this conversation retreats back into hibernation, waiting for the next tragic headline. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE.
This is the essence of why I am challenging myself with this fundraising project for mental health. By supporting the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, I want to do my small but meaningful part in the fight against mental illness by raising awareness and providing crucial funding to the crux of the matter: brain research. By helping to discover the root cause of PTSD or autism and potentially find cures, I hope to do my small but meaningful part in reducing college suicides, making school shootings a thing of the past, ridding our veterans from trauma-induced PTSD, improving the social lifestyle of autistic kids, and getting the homeless off the streets.
Stop the stigma. Keep the conversation going. And let's help change mental illness as a sign of weakness into a badge of perseverance and strength.
THANK YOU, and I hope you join me in the fight!
#MindOverMileage
Organizer
Erick Martínez Juárez
Organizer
Bainbridge, GA
National Alliance For Research On Schizophrenia And Depression Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
