Charleston Challenge: Give Hope, Empower Lives

All funds donated will be split between our two chosen local Non-Profits, Wake Up Carolina and Quest. Local to Charleston, SC.

On December 29th, we are hosting a community-driven and peer led charity run to raise awareness for mental health, give hope for addiction, and inspire our community to live a healthier lifestyle. This started as an endeavor to run 50 miles together by the end of the year, and is developing into a community event with a chance to make a local impact.

Our goal is to raise $1 per every mile we run and use the positive impact of everyone’s network to multiply those donations. The event is a 50 mile run, with no distance required, allowing anyone crazy enough to attempt the full 50 miles, relay teams of any size, and runners/walkers of any distance to participate. We carefully selected Hampton Park as our location in an effort to further create a sense of community. The park is exactly 1 mile around with the goal of creating lots of interaction between various individuals throughout the day. Whether you’re able to join us or not, we appreciate your support and any donations.

Presented by Detour Marketplace and Washed Up Coffee Club.

Detour Marketplace-

My name is Thomas Henderson Jr. I'm 27 years old, owner of Detour Marketplace, and I'm originally from Charleston, SC. Since my early teenage years, I've struggled with addiction and mental health-related issues. In my mid-twenties, I found recovery and truly began my healing journey. Early in my recovery, just over 4 years ago, I found running, and it has been a part of my daily life since then. It has completely reshaped my way of being and allowed me to grow immensely. Over the last couple of years, my career focus has shifted toward inspiring others and giving individuals who may be struggling hope for their future. I know how it feels to have no hope, to be stuck in complete darkness, and to feel trapped in my mind. I believe, though, that when we move our bodies and connect with our community, it allows us to be free and to feel the beautiful sense of belonging each of us so deeply deserves. Detour Marketplace is where we build community in support of our environment and general well being.

Washed Up Coffee Club-

My name is Joe Sadowski. I'm 28 years old, co-founder of Washed Up Coffee Club, and am originally from Hickory, NC but have lived in Charleston, SC for 7 years now. I have a strong passion for building communities and being a positive light. Washed Up Coffee club is a men’s group that meets bi-weekly for a run, ocean plunge and coffee out on Sullivans Island. Simply put, it’s a group of guys being dudes and is focused on creating an event that gathers men together in a fun positive space that allows for conversation of all kind. A lot of my passion is focused on mental health awareness. I believe many of us have lost friends and/or family to struggles with mental health issues. Personally, I’ve lived both instances. We all struggle and battle our own demons. My goals are focused on bringing out those conversations and struggles to allow people to realize they aren’t alone. We all have a weight to bear, and you don’t have to carry it alone. I find peace in music, art, golf, time with friends/family, and more recently in endurance athletics. Doing something unimaginably hard at some point throughout the year helps to jumpstart my self-confidence and quiets down that little voice in my head for a while. I hope to inspire friends, family, the Charleston community and people all over to talk about their internal struggles and be a light for all of those I encounter. You never know who is going through a mental storm, and sometimes making them smile is the positive impact they need to keep going.

Info on our chosen Non-Profits:

Quest:

“We started Quest in 2022 with the goal to provide community during times of struggle for students and young adults. We realized there was a lack of community care for those over 18. Quest grew out of this need, and in 2023 we launched our first student-led organization at the College of Charleston!”

“Our mission is to strengthen the mental fitness of students and young adults ”

“Our hope as we grow is that our Quest on Campus organizations on college campuses provide the creative platform for young adults to raise mental health awareness among their peers, and to take action into their own hands through compassionate community building.”

As Chris Singleton put it at our 2023 Recovery Rally:

“We can’t do it by ourselves.”

If you are interested in learning more about how you can help out our vision, or are willing to support the startup cost of an entire campus organization via a matching gift, please email:

Questinrecovery.org

@questinrecovery

Wake Up Carolina:

“We are a recovery community organization (RCO), an independent, non-profit organization led and governed by representatives of our local recovery community. We organize recovery-focused advocacy activities, carry out recovery-focused community education and outreach programs, and provide peer-based recovery support services.”

“Wake Up Carolina began with a promise. A promise made to a beautiful boy by his mother ignited our community’s desire to affect change. We honor that promise and Creighton Shipman’s memory by supporting every youth battling substance use and their family.”

“More than bricks and mortar, Wake Up Carolina gives wings to the belief that there should be a safe place for our community to come together and provide hope, raise awareness, and facilitate recovery for Charleston’s youth, young adults, and their families. Community partners throughout the area have united to address the rising substance misuse among our youth head-on.”

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. - Mahatma Gandhi

Wakeupcarolina.org

@wakeupcarolina