Rising Hearts August Blog Updates
We welcome in August! We are in the heat of the summer as things are starting to slow down to prepare for fall but we hope you get your last minute sun, travel and family time in! We are hoping you all are in good health and spirits from your summer adventures! We have some new run reflections for you, efforts to support or donate to, opportunities to apply for, and a couple podcast suggestions! New merch for Rising Hearts via partnership with Bakline will be available this week!
We are so excited and grateful to get to know community, create community, create awareness, and help give back to the heart work that is having profound impacts. We are all part of that, together!
AREAS OF FOCUS: Updates
We are prioritizing our Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate Collective through our own fundraising and partnerships, to support our athletes in their running and advocacy.
Our Running On Native Lands Initiative is in constant growth. The toolkit is almost done with some notable updates, potential new partners that we are in communications with, and we have created a more formalized process in becoming a partner. We have upcoming opportunities to screen our Know To Run series along with our Going Beyond a Land Acknowledgement workshop, it allows us to meet more of community, help educate, and learn from community. So, we are looking forward to our annual virtual/in person Running On Native Lands community gatherings this month!
Rising Hearts Stories has been created under new production company Narrative Shift, centered, on community, environmental, racial and social justice efforts, important campaigns that shift the narrative, offer ways to inform, and help shine a light on the celebratory moments in community with our partners and ideas we help co-create! The official launch of this company, that founder, Jordan Marie Whetstone is helping to co-create and lead. Rising Hearts Stories, will have it’s own space on the website and on our own! We look forward to this opportunity and growth.
WATCH FIRE! SAN CARLOS APACHE TRIBE
Recently, the San Carlos Apache Tribe has been impacted by the Watch Fire. With over 80 homes taken, and people displaced and support direly needed. Rising Hearts has been able to help through our connections and partnerships:
+ GU Energy Labs is donating Lemon Lime hydration tabs
+ Patagonia is donating gear to the community
+ On Running is donating over 400 items: shoes, socks, athleisure clothes
+ Hoka - our friend Mayra from CA, is donating Hoka shoes
+ Rising Hearts + Jordan: monetary donations, shipping out gently used baby clothes, men and women’s clothes, blankets, feminine products, and diapers
All shipping out this week to the community! DONATE HERE!
- Rising Hearts
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Sunday, August 11, 2024 @ 9:00 a.m.
Lake Phalen, St. Paul, MN
IN PERSON + VIRTUAL OPTION!
The 4th Annual ReNew Earth Running Haulin' Pollen 5k will kickoff the Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi Pollinator Festival! Proceeds from the 5k will benefit RER's mission and Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi's work of protecting nature and sacred sites.
Construction has begun on the Wakan Tipi Cultural Center! This is such tremendous news, and as a result, the Haulin’ Pollen 5k and the Pollinator Festival will be at Lake Phalen again this year. The 5k course will include one loop around Lake Phalen. After you finish your amazing run, runners are invited to stay and enjoy a full morning of activities at Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi’s Pollinator Festival!
SHIRTS:
RER is also partnering with Tuscarora Woodworks for race t-shirt ordering. Shirts are available for purchase for an additional cost to registration ($12.99-$14.99). Click the link to order. Order your shirt by July 21, 2024 to ensure that you receive it for race day.
AWARDS:
1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers for female, male, and non-binary will each go home with a hummingbird feeder.
Runners will receive a custom Haulin' Pollen wooden medal by Tuscarora Woodworks.
Free Entry!! Become a Haulin' Pollen 5k Dollinator and receive a free entry to the race! Want to go the extra mile? Commit to fundraise a minimum of $100 as you train for the big day and have an even bigger impact in supporting Indigenous land stewardship. Please consider becoming a HP5k Dollinator. Sign up to be a Dollinator here, then email us for your free entry comp code.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT!
SAVE THE DATE!
When: Sept. 30th - Oct 1st
Where: Virtual and In Person
Distances: 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Trifecta
In person locations: TBD - will be shared soon!
Every Child Matters Shirts: Available via Rising Hearts store!
Create or join a virtual team
Option to just donate!
Free - registration isn’t required, you can download the digital bib on website
Know To Run: Yatika is touring with The Trail Running Film Festival!
Get Tickets here: https://trailfilmfest.com/tour/
August 1st ANNARBOR, MICHIGAN
September 27th, CABLE, WISCONSIN
November 7th REDWOOD CITY, CALIFORNIA
PERMANENT CEASE FIRE
All eyes on Rafah, Sudan, Congo, Yemen, and on so many communities experiencing genocide, injustice, displacement, by an oppressor. And we have so much to learn as an organization, as individuals, as we continue to learn more about frontline communities harmed by the dangerous roots of colonialism. We may not always get it right, but we appreciate those we follow and those that share resources with us, as we do our best to signal boost them across our platforms as often as we can. Many feel lost, don’t know what to do, and we believe coming into this space of advocacy, needs to happen on your own. We must first care, and many do, must become aware and educated as much as we can, participate in actions, donate, and more. We don’t judge or think less of you or define what that looks like. We are seeing this across the virtual spaces so much, creating tension, criticism for it not being done the right way, which happens all the time and never finding the right way depending on who is criticizing. We have to foster a community of support and a sense of safety, especially for people who are new to advocacy spaces.
Humanity is in grave danger - we have to save it.
Here are some links below that that we have collected for you as starting points or continuous support. We will do our best to keep adding to them.
+ Permanent Cease Fire in Gaza
+ Call your representatives
+ We are taxpayers, our money is funding this genocide
+ Donate to aid / support those on the ground / families
+ Divest from pathways fueling and funding this genocide
+ Get out and vote
WEAR THE HEART WORK
Rising Hearts x Bakline Collection
Shop Rising Hearts singlets, Running With Purpose singlets, Running On Native Lands shirts, Hoodies (comfy, oversized), and more with our partner, Bakline!
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
The Siekoya Remolina are part of the Siekopai Tribe (a name that means multicolored people) which is made up of just over 50 families (only about 2000 people in total) spread across the Ecuadorian and Peruvian border.
Their people, their language, and their culture are very literally facing extinction. and the engine of extraction hums on, ever increasing the threat due to oil drilling, mining, mono-cropping of palm which causes deforestation and flooding, poverty, diseases of modernity (including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer), racism and marginalization, and of course, the broader climate crisis.
Earlier this year, they fought and won a historic victory culminating with the ecuadorian government agreeing to return 104,000 acres of their ancestral land back to them. Unfortunately, the current administration has dragged their feet when it comes to delivering on this legal obligation, and as a result, tensions along the borders of their land have increased.
This community does not want to take money from anyone or anything that would harm their land, water, air, or bodies. like many indigenous communities, they understand the importance of protecting themselves and their land (which, for them, is an extension of themselves). But still ensnared in capitalism, they have to find ways to bring in income to provide food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and education for their families.
So they find other ways.
Recently, they started their tree climbing team (there’s no name in english, and in spanish they just say “grupo de escaladores siekoya remolino” or group of climbers siekoya remolino).
They attended an event alongside other climbing teams in the region. and in order to participate fully, they wanted to offer the community as the location for the next event, set for the end of this month. Initially a foreigner said he would help them raise the funds necessary in order to host (all in all about $1400), but at the last minute, he bailed, even taking the equipment he’d promised with him.
I offered to help them raise the funds, and that’s what this piece is doing. But even if you can’t donate, I ask that you spend a few moments learning about this project, sharing this piece with friends, and reflecting on what you can learn from their example.
The tree climbing team is not just about tree climbing. Because in this worldview, everything truly is everything in a practical, material way.
So far, we need about $1000 within the next week. (again, originally they were meant to have other funding that fell through. And the organizations they sometimes look to for grants, such as WWE, weren’t able to accommodate them with so short notice.)
But I know we can do this. please, give what you can. share widely. Check the links below to learn more. And please, in the comments, if this brought up anything for you or helped you see something in a new way, let me know and i will pass it onto the community.
-Written by Rae Dohar
RUN REFLECTIONS
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate, Jinghuan Liu Tervalon!
Hi friends,
I want to share my substack account with you all! Please subscribe for free running blogs. Excited to share this with RWP community and further!
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
2024 National Tribal and Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC)
September 9-12 2024 Anchorage, Alaska
$250 in person Deadline August 19th
$50 virtual Deadline September 6th
For more information please visit: nau.edu/nticc2024
2024 Take The Lead Retreat
Take The Lead is the first-ever running-industry retreat centering the experience of women and femme of color with the mission to validate, support, and lead change they want to see in the running industry. Take The Lead was co-founded in 2022 by Alison Mariella Désir and Martha M. Garcia.
Take the Lead is returning in 2024 with the continued mission to provide women and femme of color who work in the running industry with career development programming, community building, and mentorship opportunities that center our experiences and identities.
This retreat is put on for us and by us. We know that by coming together, connecting in a safe space, and centering our experiences, we can lead the change we want to see in the running industry.
This retreat is Women and Femme of Color focused, but all are welcome.
See FAQ here, past retreat agendas here, testimonials here, and past event photos here.
RUN FOR RISING HEARTS
Thanks to the 11 runners we have, turning their passion into purpose! Using running to fundraise for Rising Hearts! Here’s a chance to support our heart work through a different means - running! We hope to find 9 more runners for 2024.
2024 RACES YOU CAN SELECT AND FUNDRAISE FOR RISING HEARTS (THERE ARE MORE RACES OUTSIDE OF THE ONES BELOW YOU CAN SELECT):
Orca Half Marathon:
https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/Anacortes/OrcaHalf
When: September 14-15, 2024
Distances: Half Marathon
13.1 Fundraising Commitment: $1,000
Mount Rushmore Half Marathon:
When: September 21, 2024
Time: 6:30am (rolling times)
https://www.vacationraces.com/half-marathons/mount-rushmore/
13.1 Half Marathon Fundraising Commitment: $1,000
Lake Powell Half Marathon:
When: October 12th
Time: 8am
https://www.vacationraces.com/half-marathons/lake-powell/
13.1 Fundraising Commitment: $1,000
WANT TO RACE FOR RISING HEARTS OUTSIDE OF THESE WE HAVE SELECTED?
Not seeing a race you want to run in this list? Check out all of the Wander Project events and choose the “Your Choice” option. They will reach out to learn more about your charity of choice and once you let them know that you’ll be running for Rising Hearts, they will make sure your funds come to support our mission!”
Athletes who want to support Rising Hearts for a race that is not listed, can sign up for any of the events on The Wander Project calendar: https://www.wanderproject.org/event-partners/ and pick 'Your Choice' for charity and then fill out the form to indicate they want to support Rising Hearts: (FAQ page here: https://www.wanderproject.org/athletes/frequently-asked-questions/)
Javalina 100M and 100k:
When: October 26-27, 2024
Time: 6am and 7am
Where: Fort McDowell AZ
https://runsignup.com/Race/AZ/FortMcdowell/JavelinaJundredCharityBib
100M Fundraising Commitment: $3,000
100k Fundraising Commitment: $2,000
Shenandoah Half Marathon:
When: September 14, 2024
Time: 7AM
Start: Luray VA (starts at Lake Arrowhead Park)
End: Hawksbill Recreation Park (Stanley, VA
https://www.vacationraces.com/half-marathons/shenandoah/
13.1 Fundraising Commitment: $1,000
Joshua Tree Half
When: November 2, 2024
Time: 6pm
https://www.vacationraces.com/half-marathons/joshua-tree/
13.1 Fundraising Commitment: $1,000
NOTE: A few 2025 races are available as well!
PODCAST SPOTLIGHTS
EPISODE 18 FEATURE: Alex Staten and Stefanie Flippin
The Trail Network Podcast brings the untold stories of magical moments amongst trail runners to life. These stories of runners on and off the trail capture the spirit of trailrunning and the power of friendship and connection.
On this week’s episode, we chat with Alex Staten and Stefanie Flippin. Alex is a trail and ultra runner from Fayetteville, Arkansas, a Diné and Mexican woman, and this year’s Gu Energy Labs and Rising Hearts athlete in the Western States Endurance Run. If you followed along with Golden Hour at Western States, you followed Alex’s journey from Olympic Valley to Placer High, where she missed the cut off on the track by 2 minutes and 50 seconds. Her day was one of rising above countless challenges and willing her body to the finish line, for reasons far beyond herself. Stef Flippin is a professional trail and ultra runner for Gu Energy labs and lululemon, physician, coach, and podcast host. She had the privilege of being a coach and holistic mentor for GU’s and Rising Hearts’ diversity runners at this year’s edition of Western States. Stef and Alex formed a lasting bond over the last year as a result of Alex’s journey to Western States. We hear about Alex’s history in ultrarunning, Alex and Stef’s coaching relationship, her WSER build, her involvement with Trail Sisters in Arkansas, the partnership between Rising Hearts and Gu Energy Labs, and ultimately, how Alex’s day at Western States played out.