Hi! My name is Casey. On December 1 I ran a mile on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. I turned around and did lunges all the way back. I was in a mental funk and wanted to challenge myself. It made me feel great. Every week since then I have done a 1 mile run and 1 mile of lunges. 17 weeks in I think it’s time to add some purpose to it, so I'm raising money for various charities, $1,600 at a time. A mile of lunges is roughly 1,600 lunges. I’m raising funds for various charities, and as soon as I hit $1,600 I’ll distribute the sum to a charity and start over. If you have some extra funds to throw in, please do! I’ll continue doing my weekly mile of lunges, raising funds along the way. I'll keep a running tally below of which charities we have raised money for or are currently raising money for. Hopefully, we can get to $4,800 by the end of the year! Donated $1,600! Charity #1: The VMHI (Veterinary Mental Health Initiative). https://www.shanti.org/programs-services/veterinary-mental-health-initiative/ Raising funds now! Charity #2: The NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) https://www.nami.org/Home

Charity #1: The VMHI (Veterinary Mental Health Initiative). I was made aware of this charity by one of my followers. Veterinarians are an underserved occupation with regard to mental health assistance, and the VMHI does great work to help them get what they need.

Current Fundraising Charity*** Charity #2: The NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. For 40 years the NAMI has been helping educate, support, advocate, and listen to those in need. Please share this fundraiser with people you know. And I’m always open for ideas for other organizations to raise funds for.

Charity #3: Face it Foundation: "Face It was founded in 2009 with the goal to help men understand and overcome depression, and reduce the rate of male suicide. We provide men’s support groups, one-on-one peer support, outreach events, public education, and training for mental health professionals."

Thank you again! This practice has been huge for my mental health, and has also reminded me that I want to give back to the community and add value. If not, there’s something important you can do. Call someone you love. Check in. I started lunging when I was in a very poor headspace, and this routine of slowing down and taking an hour to move one mile has brought perspective and calmness. You never know what baggage someone might be carrying, or how they are feeling, so reach out.