Grandma's Marathon: $5,000 in 26.2 Miles

June 4, 2010

Dear Friends,

After years of cajoling by my wife Gail, and recently by my friend, and our Board President, Marathon Don Kern, I will be attempting to run my first marathon at age 54.  All 26.2 miles. Yikes! My attempt will be made on June 19, 2010 at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior. 

I am going to run this marathon as a fundraiser for Alternatives in Motion, an organization close to my heart. To those who don’t know, Alternatives in Motion provides wheelchairs to people without insurance or government assistance. I’m also going to run this for a person I just met. Over my 15 years at AIM no recipient has inspired me as much as Dr. Becky Garcia.  We recently provided her with a light weight titanium manual wheelchair on May 8.

Last week, our board president Don Kern and I visited with Becky in Hillsdale, Michigan. A gifted person, Dr. Garcia graduated from Onsted High School, and 3 weeks later she graduated from U of M, and entered U of M Medical School. She finished med school quickly, completed her internships and became chief of staff of an emergency room in a Miami hospital for many years. Becky also started a free clinic, and saw patients from 7:00am to 7:00pm one day a week. She made a difference in lives of many.

In 2002 everything dramatically changed for Becky. While Christmas shopping Becky had left a store to cross a street when suddenly a motorist ran the red light, hitting Becky in the crosswalk.  The car dragged her 50 feet.   Her own medevac helicopter brought her to the emergency room where her staff saved her life. Hospitalization lasted for 14 months.  Complications followed including blood clots impairing her vision, and she also had flair up of Lupus, which was always under control before the accident. Becky moved back home to Michigan and lives in Hillsdale to have family nearby.

Now 8 years since the accident, Becky needed a wheelchair. Her insurance will not provide one for a year and half.   We had in the warehouse the perfect wheelchair for most of her needs, and we arranged to have Gail and I deliver the wheelchair on the way to my daughter’s graduation from Hillsdale College on May 8. Perfect.  Becky was thrilled.

Two weeks later as Don and I visited with Becky and learned the details about her traumatic life-changing event, her phone rang 3 times, and a person delivered food.  Another delivered flowers from an admirer.  She laughed a lot.  A pastor called her for inspiration in dealing with a sick member of his congregation. I could see that this woman was still making a difference in the lives of so many people. Grace has a way of working like that.

Don and I also discovered that what Becky really needs is a power wheelchair or scooter. Her old one is broken down, so she cannot use it to get out independently and visit downtown Hillsdale, only a few blocks away. But Becky couldn’t bring herself to ask for help with something so expensive.  She would simply make do, and thanked us profusely over and over again for giving her a manual wheelchair. Result: we will give Becky a power chair or scooter as soon as possible.

Alternatives in Motion operates 100% on charitable support. I am dedicating my run to raise money for this outstanding mission, and for Becky Garcia, who was a runner herself at one time, and for all the people who need our help with mobility.

Please join me in supporting Alternatives in Motion by sponsoring me as I run Grandma’s Marathon June 19. My goal is to raise $5,000. Any amount will help us move closer to this goal.  You can donate easily and securely through Paypal on the bottom of this page, or you can make out a check made payable to Alternatives in Motion and reference George’s Marathon. As donations are tax deductible you will be mailed a receipt from AIM for your records.

I hope you will consider this opportunity to support an organization that has helped hundreds of people in Michigan and the Midwest get the wheelchairs they need.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

George Ranville
Executive Director
Alternatives in Motion
201 Matilda NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503