Almost a year ago now, I realized it had been an embarrassingly long time since I did anything to give back to the wonderful community that is Los Angeles. I did a little soul searching. What matters to me... What are the causes I value most... As a kid, I received an amazing education, and because that experience has been so influential in making me the person I am today, I place an exceptionally high value on the ability of a quality education to transform lives. So I went to google and I discovered an incredible organization called Reading to Kids.

Since then, I've been spending the second Saturday of each month volunteering with an amazing community of volunteers to help make a difference in the lives of children here in Los Angeles.  I volunteered as a reader first, got hooked, and almost immediately I found myself wanting to get more involve. For the past 6 or so months, I've been a Site Coordinator at Los Angeles Elementary.  In this role, I've had the opportunity to really see what goes into making our reading clubs happen. I've seen the tireless work that the three person staff at R2K puts in to make it possible for hundreds of volunteers to nurture a love of reading for hundreds more children. I've seen the workshops that each school puts on for parents, many of whom are not native english speaker, but who are as passionate about their children's education as any parent I've ever met. I've gotten to know the volunteers, many of whom have attended well over 100 reading clubs (some almost 200!) and others still who were themselves participants in the R2K program as kids! It's amazing, and if you live in LA, I highly encourage you to come see for yourself why I love this organization and the work that they do.

Just how much do I love Reading to Kids?

Well! I'm glad you asked. Story time...

When I was in middle school, I joined the cross country team. I was not a runner. I did this, under the misguided impression, that if I had a coach yelling at me to run, it would help me get in better shape, and Sally Hawkins might let me sway from side to side with my hands on her hips.

About a month into this bad decision, on the eve of our maybe third meet of the year, I had had it with this terrible horrible no good thing called running, and in protest of the very institution itself, I decided to walk the meet. I managed to sway my friend, Adam, who was in fact a much better runner than I was, to my cause, and together we became the conscientious objectors of cross country.

I kid you not, they dispatched search parties to find us. When Mrs. McDonald (the mean terrible mom that loved yelling at everyone else's kids) found out what we had done, she blew a gasket. Our coach cried.

This is a TRUE STORY. And I think, MAYBE, we were supposed to run 2.5 miles that day. 

I bring this up to illustrate my contentious at best relationship with this sport. And yet, despite all this, on March 8th, I will be running a half marathon, a feat my mortal Danby body was never designed to overcome, all because I love this organization. I am willing to subject myself to the pain, agony, fear, sorrow, and self-loathing that will no doubt ensue around mile eleven, all in the name of getting you people to give them some money! 

So please, please, please, in the words of some famous old timey European, "let not my sacrifice be in vain!" Donate, as much or little as you can! I can promise you it's going to an amazing cause.

Much Love,

Danby