A birthday marathon for fun(draising)!

Long story short: I'll be running a half marathon ** on my 28th birthday (May 26th) to raise money for a few causes I think are important, and I'd be so grateful for your support. I'm also more than happy to receive donations via cash, check, or Venmo (@Jared-Perlo). Please feel free to share this fundraiser with anyone, and thanks!

**UPDATE May 26: This was supposed to be a half-marathon, but I ran the full marathon instead! My first one ever! On my birthday! If that gives you any extra motivation to donate, please send your kind donations my way <3 Let's get closer to the goal!

Note: if you don't like marathon fundraisers, think of this donation as a birthday present!

Another note: If you prefer your donation to be tax-deductible, I suggest you make a donation to Helen Keller International directly. I won't be able to share the donation with the other causes mentioned below, but I sadly don't (yet) have tax-deducting powers from the IRS.

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Long story not-so-short:

I've had the good fortune to travel many places and meet many people in my 27+ years, and I want to use my birthday—and desire to run bizarrely long distances—to give back to some of the amazing people I've met and several related causes.

I will be running the Vermont City Marathon on May 26th. I already paid the registration fee, and seeing as I've never had a great grasp of the sunk-cost fallacy, I'm determined to run it as best I can.

I am fundraising for four different causes. I'd be happy to chat more about any of these 1-on-1 if you're interested. The four causes are:

1) Helen Keller International. HKI is an international charity known for its impactful work providing needed medical care and nutrition to some of the world's most neglected areas. I often give to HKI when I give to charity.

2) Coffee-processing equipment for community coffee cooperative.

When I lived in Indonesia, I stayed with a host family in the hills outside of Bajawa, on the island of Flores. The area is a coffee-growing paradise, and my host family and friends have long been trying to grow their local coffee cooperative to allow them to reach new and bigger markets. This funding will help them purchase machines for pulping and washing coffee.

3) Support for HIV/AIDS community group. In the same area in Indonesia, I was welcomed with open arms by several members of a local HIV/AIDS community-support group when I was conducting research on local healthcare systems. This funding will help them organize community activities and strengthen their network of local activists fighting for access to care and medicine.

4) Support for education and orphanage in Kenya. On a recent trip to Kenya, I made friends with a student named Henry. After his family farm experienced poor harvests, he was unable to pay university tuition and was forced to drop out. He moved to a sprawling slum and now bakes bread for a few dollars a day ($2-4 USD most days). He has been saving what he can for school, and I am eager to help pay for his tuition—I can vouch for his struggles and determination. I was also lucky to meet inspiring people involved with the Wema Centre in Mombasa, which strives to protect and provide housing and resources for children living on the streets. I will make a donation to the Wema Centre for them to use as they see fit.

I will be handling the donations myself, making sure to minimize processing fees so your donation is not diluted by these fees.

Thank you again for your time and support! I'm eager to report from race-day.

Now time for a disclaimer and a fun fact:

*The disclaimer: I recently tweaked my Achilles, so I now plan to run a half marathon instead of the full race. But if I'm feeling good, I'll run the whole course! If that's the case, I'll reach back out to everyone and ask you to double your donation (just joking!)

UPDATE May 26: I ran the whole thing! Thank you, Achilles tendon, for getting me across the 26.2 finish line.

The fun fact: if you add up the digits of a marathon's distance (in miles), you get 28. Is it a coincidence that I'll be turning 28? These are the deep questions.

I don't plan to run with a moustache, but the race-day facial hair is TBD.

(Yes, this GoFundMe is going live quite close to race day, but I've already raised some funds to support these causes offline as well).