Donation protected
It's been 4 years since I swore off never running a marathon again. This changed last year when I promised my Aunt D; that I would run a marathon in her honor and raise money for the charity of her choosing. The charity that she chose was, Iowa Justice For Our Neighbors.
You can find out what they do here: http://www.iowajfon.org/about-us
My Aunt D passed away on December 29th, 2019 at 59 years old from cancer, cancer sucks. I don't have a way with words, so I think its best to include this passage from her obituary.
"Diane was at her core an activist, writer, social justice educator, parent, friend, builder of community, and committed to creating a more ethical and just world.
Diane’s activism spanned decades from her early college years as a feminist activist creating safe spaces for women, involvement in the peace movement, and in human rights world-wide. You could frequently find her speaking or singing protest songs at rallies around the state. When she moved to Iowa City she worked at the Emma Goldman Clinic and continued to grow community through her grassroots activism, including as a founder of the Rainbow Families group for queer parents and kids. Her role as activist and social justice educator extended throughout Iowa and beyond. She helped create an equitable community through her work on the RAICES Project, a multi-year campus/community collaboration to build Latino capacity in rural communities. Diane’s work with the White Privilege Conference was critical to her social justice work intellectually, emotionally, and in community building. She was a board member for the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa and advocated against discrimination as Commissioner for the Iowa City Human Rights Commission. She also served on the statewide planning committee for the Strengthening and Valuing Latino Communities.
Diane’s career at the University of Iowa spanned more than 25 years, most recently holding the position of Assistant Provost for Faculty, Office of the Provost. In her work at the University she committed herself to being a relentless advocate to create community and a more inclusive campus. Her successes garnered many honors including the Diversity Catalyst Award, Sue Buckley Distinguished Achievement Award for Staff, Iowa City Human Rights Commission Rick Graf Award, David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service and Iowa Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award. Though she was always surprised and touched by these acknowledgements, she believed the work was an honor in and of itself. She dedicated her life to social justice.
Diane loved spending time with her family and her beloved community at our many gatherings big and small. She cherished these times together, as she often said “Community is so much more then the coming and passing of individuals. It is about community and what we do and don’t do as members of these beautiful gatherings, events, and histories.”"
My aunt, Diane Finnerty, truly made the world a better place and the lives that she touched will continue this work.
My family and I are extremely grateful for each donation you make.
You can find out what they do here: http://www.iowajfon.org/about-us
My Aunt D passed away on December 29th, 2019 at 59 years old from cancer, cancer sucks. I don't have a way with words, so I think its best to include this passage from her obituary.
"Diane was at her core an activist, writer, social justice educator, parent, friend, builder of community, and committed to creating a more ethical and just world.
Diane’s activism spanned decades from her early college years as a feminist activist creating safe spaces for women, involvement in the peace movement, and in human rights world-wide. You could frequently find her speaking or singing protest songs at rallies around the state. When she moved to Iowa City she worked at the Emma Goldman Clinic and continued to grow community through her grassroots activism, including as a founder of the Rainbow Families group for queer parents and kids. Her role as activist and social justice educator extended throughout Iowa and beyond. She helped create an equitable community through her work on the RAICES Project, a multi-year campus/community collaboration to build Latino capacity in rural communities. Diane’s work with the White Privilege Conference was critical to her social justice work intellectually, emotionally, and in community building. She was a board member for the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa and advocated against discrimination as Commissioner for the Iowa City Human Rights Commission. She also served on the statewide planning committee for the Strengthening and Valuing Latino Communities.
Diane’s career at the University of Iowa spanned more than 25 years, most recently holding the position of Assistant Provost for Faculty, Office of the Provost. In her work at the University she committed herself to being a relentless advocate to create community and a more inclusive campus. Her successes garnered many honors including the Diversity Catalyst Award, Sue Buckley Distinguished Achievement Award for Staff, Iowa City Human Rights Commission Rick Graf Award, David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service and Iowa Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award. Though she was always surprised and touched by these acknowledgements, she believed the work was an honor in and of itself. She dedicated her life to social justice.
Diane loved spending time with her family and her beloved community at our many gatherings big and small. She cherished these times together, as she often said “Community is so much more then the coming and passing of individuals. It is about community and what we do and don’t do as members of these beautiful gatherings, events, and histories.”"
My aunt, Diane Finnerty, truly made the world a better place and the lives that she touched will continue this work.
My family and I are extremely grateful for each donation you make.
Organizer
Craig Finnerty
Organizer
West Des Moines, IA