Rising Hearts December Blog Updates
Hey Rising Hearts Family! Happy December! It is the last month of the year and we are so grateful to have made through this year with your support! While we will be slowing down for December, we have some incredible things brewing for the new year! December 3rd is Giving Tuesday and we humbly ask for your support for Giving Tuesday! Please make sure to donate and support our Heart Work. You can make a donation or buy some Merch to have something to show for your support! Either way, we thank you so much for all your support and love.
Rising Hearts, an Indigenous led organization, elevating community voices through meaningful kinship, movement, advocacy and storytelling.
Much of the heart work we prioritize is cultivating kinship with brands, companies and groups, while creating meaningful collaborations with the Rising Hearts athletes, community partners and broader movement community.
Our Programs:
Running On Native Lands Initiative
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocates
Rising Hearts Stories | Filmmaking
Virtual Movement Events | Race Organizing
You Are Loved Community Grant Initiative
Consulting - DEI / Collab opportunities / Facilitating Connections
- Rising Hearts
Giving Tuesday
This #GivingTuesday, please consider donating to Rising Hearts! Support the heart work, the growth and expansion of this organization. Rising Hearts was founded in 2016, inspired by the Native Youth from Standing Rock who ran to DC to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline and the fight to protect what is sacred. The heart work is rooted in grassroots efforts, cultivating community, increase awareness, and all proceeds are distributed to all programming and compensating the voices we work with. We are a team of 2 - Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone, founder and organizer, a part time Programs Coordinator. The programs and opportunities to give back to relatives and communities remains the most important objective and will always remain the center.
END OF YEAR GOAL: We hope to raise another $10,000 to put towards compensation for our Programs Coordinator position, travel / lodging stipends, and gear for our community. OR reach our $100k goal for the You Are Loved grant, which brings financial support to families of missing and murdered loved ones, survivors and advocacy organizations by 12/31/24. See below!
2024 Recap - What have we been part of:
+ 7 Wander Project x Rising Hearts charity runners
+ 7 Rising Hearts charity runners at various races / personal runs
+ 2 Boston Marathon Indigenous runners, 2 Indigenous runners in the 5k
+ ‘24 GU Energy Labs x Rising Hearts Western States Endurance Run 100 Athlete Advocate - hosted a film screening and 2 panels (Representation on the Trails and Kinship Building)
+ Right To Run: Alex short film in post production
+ Elite Heart: Callie - public premier December 2024
+ March 4th Annual Running On Native Lands virtual/in person run/walk
+ April 2nd Annual Earth Day 5k
+ May 6th Annual Running For Justice run/walk for May 5th National Day of Awareness and Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Peoples
+ 9 Athlete Advocates receiving support to run at their selected races!
+ 6 community partners have received donated shoes and gear from our partner, On Running
+ 13 workshop/film screenings of Know To Run: Yatika (the film has been selected and screening in 10 film festivals)
+ Running With Purpose book is underway with fellow RWP Athlete Advocates Susie Stephen and graphics artist, Nicol Hodges!
+ 17 panel discussion opportunities for Rising Hearts
+ 2024 The Running Event in Austin, TX - participated in the Running Industry Diversity Coalition’s Deep Dive with GU Energy Labs and help our own panel (and most popularly requested now), Kinship Building with amazing voices!
+ 13 grants submitted - 2 awarded
+ Continued kinship with On Running as Right To Run long term grantee
+ 2024 NYC Marathon and partnership with NYRR - 4 Indigenous runners ran, and spoke on NYRR Team For Climate Panel, and co-hosted Meet + Greet with On and Urban Indigenous Collective
2025 Wishlist List:
+ We hope to hire another employee for our programs
+ Submit 15 applications and hope we get 5!
+ Looking for sponsorships of our events / runners - please reach out for partnerships / sponsorships!
+ Fund the founder’s position for at least part-time work since the amount of work has increased
+ Create 1 more film - fully funded
+ Create commercial / storytelling opportunities with brands featuring community!
+ Increase representation of Indigenous runners and our Running With Purpose Athlete Advocates at more races and events to be part of
+ Send 4 Athletes to the Boston Marathon
+ Send 4 Athletes to the NYC Marathon
+ 2025 The Running Event in San Antonio, TX - we are seeking sponsorships to send 15 of our athlete advocates to join, RH booth, and host our Kinship Building workshop/panel
+ Host a local running retreat for our Running With Purpose Athlete Advocates in the Fall ‘25
+ Organize our virtual/in person run/walk/movement events!
+ 10 Charity Bib runners for Rising Hearts with our partner, The Wander Project (see below for more information on how to become one!)
+ 20 charity runners for Rising Hearts for any race of their choosing / dedicating their race to Rising Hearts as a fundraiser with our RH Charity runner GiveLively link that any runner / athlete can use to raise funds for by creating own account with minimum $500 fundraising level - Each runner will receive a Rising Hearts singlet, GUdies, and if needed, free pair of shoes!
Mission: Rising Hearts, an Indigenous led organization, elevating community voices through meaningful kinship, movement, advocacy and storytelling.
Much of the heart work we prioritize is cultivating kinship with brands, companies and groups, while creating meaningful collaborations with the Rising Hearts athletes, community partners and broader movement community.
Our Programs:
Running On Native Lands Initiative
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocates
Rising Hearts Stories | Filmmaking
Virtual Movement Events | Race Organizing
You Are Loved Community Grant Initiative
Workshop / Panels and DEI Consultations
Learn more about our programs we have and what we consult on and collaborate on. We’ve received a few small grants to support our work for which allows us to compensate our teachers and voices we amplify through our programming and supporting our Athlete Advocates.
Our biggest joy - is raising over $360k since June 2020 through our virtual runs to donate back to community and our costs to host them! Many thanks to the community who signs up and donates to help be part of this grassroots effort.
Donate via link www.risinghearts.org/donate to donate and support! Wopila tanka, many thanks!
YOU ARE LOVED FUNDRAISER
FUNDRAISER FOR LOVED ONES AND THEIR FAMILY:
Join Jordan Marie Whetstone (Lakota) of Rising Hearts and Kali Mequinonoag Reis (Seaconke Wampanoag), in helping to bring more visibility for the families and their loved ones as they hope to raise $100,000 or more, to donate back to the families, advocates, survivors, and organizations focused on ending this violence and creating a safer future for Indigenous Peoples through the You Are Loved community grant program. After the New York City Marathon, Jordan will be running the 2024 California International Marathon to continue fundraising for this grant support program!
The Passion:
Jordan, of Rising Hearts, and professional runner, dedicated her 2019 Boston Marathon to 26 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Since then, she has been on a mission, running for justice - running with purpose, in bringing more visibility to the movement, the families, their loved ones, the advocates, and the community organizations within the MMIR space. Since 2020, Rising Hearts has helped raise over $200,000 collectively through their virtual wellness campaigns for families of missing and murdered loved ones, advocates, survivors, organizers and community heart working organizations. More resources are needed to support the efforts of fundraising, court costs, search and rescue, data, travel for hearings, listening sessions, legal fees, mental health and wellness services, community organized efforts, financial support for cost of living, and more.
The You Are Loved Community Grant Program:
This community grant program is a direct services pathway for families, advocates and organizations to submit your request for on a rolling basis. We hope to raise the $100,000 + to get this program started, with a long term goal of sustaining this resource for community and outside agencies to continue to donate to or fundraise for.
Applications will go live December 15, 2024 on a rolling basis, need basis and urgency basis:
+ Examples of Need Basis: mental health and wellness costs / access, printing costs, banners, shirts for awareness / memorials, direct assistance for family / families, impact campaign / storytelling that will directly uplift and support loved one / families
+ Examples of Urgency Basis: Funeral costs, vigils, search and rescue, DNA testing to expedite progress in loved ones case, MMIR based conference / Federal listening session
How To Learn More + Donate:
To donate, you can start now! Visit www.risinghearts.org/youareloved and you’ll find more information about the You Are Loved Community Grant Program and starting October 15, 2024, you’ll have access to Jordan’s and Kali’s RUNNING FOR JUSTICE page for the 2024 TCS NYC Marathon to learn more about who they are running for, their why, resources to learn from and more.
Stay Up To Date:
Subscribe to the Rising Hearts newsletter - www.risinghearts.org or visit our blog www.risinghearts.org/blog for updates about fundraising, follow us at @rising_hearts on IG | @nativein_la | @kali_ko_reis
You Are Loved logo made by Nicol Hodges (IG: nicolhodges ) and RH Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate
Wear YOU ARE LOVED, talk about this effort and program, and purchases go towards the You Are Loved - Running For Justice $100,000 fundraiser!
Meet the Artist behind the You Are Loved Logo!
Nicol Hodges is a versatile multimedia artist passionate about hand drawing, acrylic painting, and graphic design. Creativity has been a part of her life since childhood, inspired by her father’s love for art and photography and her mother’s exceptional sewing talent. Nicol’s art is deeply personal, often reflecting her life experiences and her passion for her community.
When invited to contribute to the "You Are Loved" campaign, Nicol thought about the powerful love she feels for her daughters. Her artwork for the project symbolizes this bond: a heart representing love, hands symbolizing a mother’s nurturing support, and intricate braids inspired by both her own and collaborator Jordan Daniels’ shared cultural appreciation for braiding.
Nicol’s talents are in high demand—she’s currently working as the illustrator for an upcoming book, Runners with a Purpose, which celebrates runners who make a positive impact in their communities. She’s also the founder of The Risers Hub, a health and wellness platform where she helps others achieve their wellness goals and live authentically through healthy habits. Through coaching, accountability, and her podcast, Nicol is dedicated to inspiring others to rise to their fullest potential.
To learn more about Nicol’s journey and work, visit nicolhodges.com.
UPCOMING RUNS
SAVE THE DATE!
On Your Mark, Set Your Intentions 5k - Welcoming the New Year - 2025!
"Run with purpose, move with purpose. Set your intentions. Celebrate you, celebrate your journey! And we can celebrate community!"
Dates: December 30 - January 5, 2025
Distances: 5k ($20), 10k ($30), 13.1mi ($35)
Where: Virtual (in person runs are option but will have to provide me with the locations and who the run leads are and we can add those into the registration site)
Add a Land Acknowledgement to your Bib
Downloadable bib available for free (registration isn't required, but helps with being able to donate to beneficiaries)
Beneficiaries:
+ Touching Land
+ Black Men Run
+ Running Industry Diversity Coalition
+ Rising Hearts
REGISTRATION WILL BE LIVE SOON! CHECK OUT WEBSITE FOR UPDATES AND LINKS! A SEPARATE NEWSLETTER WILL BE GOING OUT WITH MORE INFO!
The Running Event Recap
Kinship Building Panel presented by Rising Hearts x On: (Left to Right) Cal Calamia, Zachary Friedley, Carolina Rubio MacRight, Jordan Whetstone, Daryl “Stretch” Murphy, and Sergio Avila.
What an amazing time we had at The Running Event, in Austin TX with friends and community!! Rising Hearts has participated in this event for a 3rd year now, and 2024 is the first time we were able to be an official partner of the event! We have so much to look forward to in 2025 and so much to reflect on from 2024. This was a time for us to network, visit as many booths as possible to share in the heart work Rising Hearts does ad share our flyers and handouts for our Kinship Building panel we were able to host with On at the Training Camp Theater. Attended some workshops and joined in the Running Industry Diversity Coalition’s Deep Dive session with other brands and organizations / groups leading the work in showing how we can meaningfully collaborate together in the industry. Stay tuned for a full recap this week!
RASPBERRY LEMONADE MINI FILM
Join the run with us! Get outside. Move your body. Now more than ever, we need community. Find your people. Find your group. Find your run group. Start a run group. Feel joy. Feel safe. Celebrate each other through movement! Feeling joy - that is liberation. We see struggles around the world. And we hope this just gives you a smile, as you reflect on your community, your people, and it can motivate you to get outside and connect. You belong.
Watch mini film via IG and click button below for Youtube view.
“Celebration” is a word Fields uses a lot. To him, running – and making art – is a celebration: of his connection to the land, to other runners, artists and art aficionados, to his Indigenous ancestors, who have walked this land for centuries. Fields is Osage, Mvskoke (Creek) and Cherokee, and in a recent video he talked about running as a celebration of his upbringing and ancestry. Yatika’s art and energy is bringing people together in such powerful and meaningful ways.
Wopila tanka, many thanks, Yatika, for bringing us together!
Buy Raspberry Lemonade Singlet: https://www.runinrabbit.com/collections/rabbit-x-rising-hearts-race-kit
Director: Jordan Whetstone | @nativein_la
DP: Devin Whetstone | @devinwhetstone
AC: Andrew DeVier-Scott | @andrewdevierscott
Production Company: Narrative Shift
LIMITED SIGNATURE EDITION -
Raspberry Lemonade Artwork Singlet!
Introducing the limited signature edition rabbit x Rising Hearts race kit!
In honor of National Native | Indigenous Heritage Month, this collab unites Rising Hearts, an Indigenous-led organization focused on community building, storytelling and advocacy through movement founded by proud Lakota, mom, runner, and filmmaker, Jordan Marie Whetstone, and her friend Yatika Starr Fields, an Osage, Muscogee, and Cherokee Painter, muralist, and ultrarunner.
“It’s very special to see this work. For all our parts and participation, coming together with running, our mediums, and advocacies coming together through art and movement, it’s a form of liberation for us.”
This collaboration is centered on: Finding your community. Connect with the lands. Connect with each other. Feel joy. Feel safe. Be a good relative.
WEAR THE HEART WORK
RUN REFLECTIONS
Running with Purpose Athlete Advocate, Marisol Cobos
October 12th, 2024. That’s where the adventure commenced, but the actual journey started months before with hours and hours of gritty training.
Undertaking the grueling Rim to Rim to Rim challenge in the Grand Canyon is the ultimate test of endurance and mental fortitude for even the most seasoned ultrarunners. This punishing 42-mile trek involves descending over a mile down into the depths of the canyon, traversing the Colorado River, and then climbing back up the towering, sunbaked walls to the opposing rim - only to turn around and repeat the entire process in reverse.
This was a personal quest to foster and build deep genuine connections, and to explore what running could unlock – not only physically, but mentally & spiritually as well. Most importantly, it was to bring awareness to individuals who want to go the extra mile in supporting Native communities beyond a land acknowledgement - but to expand that support and advocacy in creating a running community and outdoor environment to be more encouraging and open.
The journey began in the dark around 2am as the anxious group peered out at the dark and dusty trail that would ultimately be the leading guide to their goal. They were welcomed with a punishing 4,800 foot descend (in a mere 7 miles) down the South Rim. Upon reaching the canyon floor, the group was met with the raging rapids of the mighty Colorado, which had to be carefully crossed before beginning the arduous slog up the North Rim. This 6,000-foot ascent is where the reality of this challenge hits – at this point many in the group had to take a personal inventory on their physical and mental condition, was this something they could continue to push through? Especially as the temperature began to rise.
After losing a few members in the group due to injury, the rest of the crew had to carefully navigate the steep, technical terrain while quads screamed back in protest. With bodies utterly spent, the toughest part still lay ahead - retracing the steps back to the South Rim, while pushing through mounting fatigue and the relentless desert heat.
Waves of emotion, physical pain, and nauseousness hit everyone at some point.
That canyon has the power to show aspects of yourself that you never knew were there. It’s a place to be striped of any ego or self-indulgence. You were brought to your most primal point and together with your group knew that leaning on one another for support was the only way out.
The utter beauty of the desert is enough to make you shed a tear, but knowing the hundreds of thousands of people who have navigated these same trails centuries before as our ancestors and the native lands we so graciously walked on was the real treat.
Those who manage to complete this intense double-crossing of one of the most breathtaking natural wonders on Earth will be left with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment, having conquered both the canyon and their own limits.
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate, Cal Calamia
I set my marathon PR in Berlin, with a 2:41:59 finish.
When the race got hard, I told myself simply: it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished. That’s what carried me. And isn’t it? Just to be here? In one of the World Major Marathon’s non-binary divisions, my first ever international race, running faster than I would have ever imagined myself capable of, excelling, trans, so very alive.
This is and was and always will be a team effort. Countless sacrifices made over a training cycle, really living a whole calendar centered around these 2 hours and 41 minutes. So many pieces to fine tune, so much love and support to call on, all of the trans people before us and after us, all of the possibility that we continue to carve out, all of what lies ahead.
Photo Credit goes to Keeley Parenteau @realekeeley
FUNDRAISE FOR RISING HEARTS
Thanks to the 11 runners we have, turning their passion into purpose! Using running to fundraise for Rising Hearts! So far, we are close to $15,000 for 2024! Here’s a chance to support our heart work through a different means - running! We hope to find 10 runners for 2025!
2025 RACES ARE OPEN!
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/)
Reach out to us via email, info@rising-hearts.org. Share with us your plans, then we’ll set you up with the link!
Want to run for Rising Hearts?
This is more new for us! We have a givelively link specifically for runners/individuals, who want to raise funds for the heart work we do! If it’s not through our partnership with The Wander Project, or our other partners at CIM or Boston, you can run for Rising Hearts at any race you choose and bring more fun and purpose to your why and the run.
Suggested fundraising limits:
RH Athletes / Community = $500
Open to Community = minimum $800
Perks: RH Singlet, merch, stickers, fuel, and if shoes are needed, we can help you!
Important conversations & PODCAST SPOTLIGHTS
Continuing the Conversation!
Watch the Trail Runner and Rising Hearts panel discussion about the past, present and future contributions of Indigenous peoples to trail running.
The discussion will include Verna Volker, Dinée Dorame, Guarina Lopez, Jordan Marie Daniel and Dustin Martin. We will dissect and discuss harms caused by erasing the Indigenous foundations of trail running, and highlight the many ways that Indigenous athletes have changed and continue to lead the sport. The event will also spotlight specific ways runners can decolonize trail running.
Indigenous Peoples are still here. And thriving. Join us for a conversation that is sure to challenge, educate, and inspire.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH!
Hey, it’s your girl Nicol, and welcome to The Riser's Hub!
IT'S HERE... SEASON 3
New Episode Alert: The Risers Hub Podcast
Special Guest and Ambassador: Carolyne Ouya Program Manager at Futures Without Violence!
Are you experiencing "change" in your life?discussing In our latest episode, I’m diving into the transformative power of change with the amazing Carolyne Ouya—mental health advocate, marathoner, and future counseling psychologist. We’re discussing how change impacts your mind, body, and soul, and sharing actionable tips to help you navigate life’s transitions with confidence and grace. If you're on a journey to wellness, empowerment, and self-improvement, this is the episode you don't want to miss. Tune-in and rise with us!