"Get to Blythewood!" YL Marathon

Hello Everyone!

We are Jacob DeClemente and Trent Hancock and are announcing the Northeast YoungLife 2017 Fundraiser Run, or the "Get to Blythewood" Marathon!!

We are planning to run a full marathon (26.2 Miles) on March 26,  in order to raise money to help send our friends to Windy Gap, a YoungLife Summer Camp in June. 





(Windy Gap Link: https://windygap.younglife.org/Pages/default.aspx)


YoungLife is a multicultural ministry with focus on building true and lasting friendships with High School aged students across the world. From supporting and befriending students at schools, bible study Campaigner meetings, games and music at clubs, YoungLife aims to help kids grow in their faith while also being surrounded by friends and leaders who care about them. 

YoungLife leaders are primarily College-aged students who give their time to pour into schools in their area, through comming to lunches or sporting events,  tutoring, coaching, and being involved in their friends' lives. 

I [Jacob DeClemente] am currently a Senior at Blythewood High School  and have been involved with YoungLife for several years and went to Windy Gap last year.  It was one of the best weeks of my life and I am planning to go back as well. 





Last year, my friend Trent, a graduate of Blythewood High School and now a leader a Richland Northeast (a high school in the same school district) , ran 20 miles and raised over 2,000 dollars to allow students to afford the cost of camp and come with us to Windy Gap. 

(WIS Link of the event last year: http://www.wistv.com/story/32077070/usc-student-to-run-20-miles-to-raise-money-for-young-life-campers)

This year, I want to continue what Trent did, and with his support, to exceed what was accomplished in the last run. 

To do this, we want to set up the milelage, from twenty miles, to a full-out marathon. This distance is conveniently long enough to connect all the Northeast Columbia schools that YoungLife reaches out to: being Richland Northeast, Spring Valley, Ridgeview, Westwood, and Blythewood. 

Our goal is to run between all of these high schools, finishing at Blythewood, in order to raise money and support our friends at all of these high schools to come to YoungLife camp with us this summer. 

YoungLife leaders at all five of these schools have worked and cared for students tirelessly to allow many to experience the best week of their lives, so now I believe it is my turn as a senior to help my friends as well, while also connecting all of the Northeast with this fundraiser. 




As we train and prepare for the run, donations can also go towards affecting the run itself. For example, clothing or specific cosmetic changes can be reqested with donations, these can be anything from hair dye to having either Trent I represent a specific school. There will also be donation milestones we hope to achieve, that we would document live through social media.  Any contribution is greatly appreciated and we are grateful for any support doing this run, and we hope to use these as ways to show our appreciation. 

[Specifics on Donation Incientives will be clarified shortly]

We want this fundraiser to also be an opportunity for the community to continue to see what Young Life is and what it means to students and leaders who are involved. During the fundraiser process we will also provide information and experiences of Leaders and students who would want to share what YoungLife has meant to them.  In the meantime, you can find our more information about YoungLife in the Northeast Columbia Area here:  https://necolumbia.younglife.org/Pages/aboutyl.aspx 

A marathon will be no easy task, but for our friends to experience the best week of their lives, no task is impossible. 

- Jacob and Trent