Skate for a Cause: Fundraising for ProPublica

Two things about me:

1. My mother escaped secretly from Soviet-controlled Hungary, where her family faced murder or imprisonment.

2. I'm training to rollerblade 26 miles in under 2 hours at the NorthShore Inline Marathon on September 13th.

How are these connected? I'm raising $20,000 for ProPublica, America's leading investigative journalism organization, having garnered 8 Pulitzer Prizes, including back-to-back Public Service awards.

My mother died 25 years ago, believing in the democratic ideals her family risked everything to reach. Today, those values need defending. Only an informed public—powered by investigative journalism—can protect democracy.

Why inline skating?

Inline skating may sound like an unusual sport to train for, but I grew up first learning to rollerblade in elementary school and then transitioned to ice hockey. I played ice hockey in high school, and have continued to ice skate and rollerblade to the present day. This is my first time training for and skating this marathon distance. I'm excited to try out new gear and new exercise routines, and to skate for a purpose -- with you all cheering me on, contributing to a much-needed cause: investigative journalism. Please follow me here and on Strava for updates on my journey. https://strava.app.link/maTpjMkqdVb

Why ProPublica?

You may not have heard of ProPublica, but they've won eight Pulitzer Prizes for their fearless investigative journalism. Their groundbreaking reports appear in major newspapers like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, exposing corruption in everything from healthcare fraud to tax avoidance by the wealthy. As a nonprofit newsroom, they're funded entirely by donations rather than advertising. This means they can pursue stories that powerful interests would prefer to keep buried. In an era when local journalism is disappearing and misinformation spreads rapidly, ProPublica's deep-dive investigations hold the powerful accountable and give citizens the facts they need for democracy to work.

Please support my marathon challenge and this vital cause by donating.

– Andrew McKee

Cover photo by: Adam Moscoso (Ig: the_delly_llama)