I haven't posted in a while because I was holding out for a training update post, but my half marathon training hasn't quite been going as planned. As a result, I made the difficult decision to NOT run any half marathons this fall and volunteer at the races I had planned to run instead. This fall and winter I plan to focus on increasing my strength and flexibility and hopefully get closer to the level of fitness I had in 2014 when I ran my last marathon and before I experienced several years of injuries.
So now the plan is to volunteer at the MO' Cowbell expo and on race day. I think it will be hard being absent from the start line with the other MO' Bassadors and runners, but I am really looking forward to seeing race day from a totally different perspective.
I hope to see you on race day!
Showing posts with label Giving Back. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Giving Back. Show all posts
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Sunday, May 14, 2017
There is still time to earn a FREE 5k or Half Marathon through Race 13.1
Race 13.1 - St. Louis is scheduled for Sunday, May 21 and volunteers are still needed! Course monitors earn $80 in credit which is enough for either a 5k or a half marathon (when you sign up before too many price increases). Lead cyclists are also needed and they also earn $80 in credit for their shifts. There are shorter shifts available too, but click here to sign up for a volunteer shift before they are gone!
Don't live in St. Louis? No problem! Volunteer shifts with the same great benefits are also available at other Race 13.1 locations. Click here to find a race close to you.
You can read about my experience volunteering at last year's St. Louis race here. More details about Race 13.1's amazing volunteer program can be found here. I hope you will consider volunteering a few hours with Race 13.1 at a location near you!
Don't live in St. Louis? No problem! Volunteer shifts with the same great benefits are also available at other Race 13.1 locations. Click here to find a race close to you.
You can read about my experience volunteering at last year's St. Louis race here. More details about Race 13.1's amazing volunteer program can be found here. I hope you will consider volunteering a few hours with Race 13.1 at a location near you!
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
#WellnessWednesday - Volunteer with Race 13.1 to run for FREE
Races keep getting more and more expensive, especially if
you wait until the last minute to register and miss all the early bird
discounts. Anytime that I come across an
opportunity to run at a discounted rate or for FREE, I will send the information
your way.
The opportunity I want to tell you about today is through
Race 13.1. As of February 22nd,
Race 13.1 has one race in West Virginia, five races in North Carolina, two
races in Tennessee, one in Ohio, one in Virginia,
three races in Michigan, one in Arkansas, one in South Carolina, and one here
in Missouri. Each race offers unique
swag, scenery, and medals to runners but
none of those races could safely take place without the help of
volunteers.
Pasted below is more information about Race 13.1’s volunteer program. They make it VERY easy to earn
a free race by just volunteering a few hours one day or combining a Packet
Pick-Up shift with a race day shift.
In 2016, I volunteered as a Course Monitor for four hours
and earned $80 in Race Bucks. That would
more than cover a 5k or a 10k at any of their locations and it would also cover
a half marathon if I registered early enough.
All I did was cheer on the runners by both yelling for them and shaking
a cowbell as they passed, kept cars away from the runners, and directed runners and
their families towards the finish line.
Super easy!!!
To find the Race 13.1 location closest to you, click here. When volunteer registration is available, you will see a Volunteer tab towards the top of the page near the registration tab. A week or so after your volunteer shift, you will receive your Race Bucks which you can use at any Race 13.1 location (except the Greenbrier 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon, since that is considered a "Destination Race"). Race locations are not always repeated year to year, so be sure to watch the Races & Registration page to help you decide where you want to cash in your Race Bucks.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
#WellnessWednesday - How YOU can earn a FREE race in St. Louis
I am spending my first Sunday back in St. Louis as a married woman running the GO! half marathon for FREE in April!!! I am finally able to run a GO! half marathon for FREE because I have volunteered at GO! races for over 20 hours total. It has taken me a couple years, but this year I was finally able to cash in my time for a FREE entry.
Here's how it currently works:
12 volunteer hours = a free 5k
15 volunteer hours = a free 10k
20 volunteer hours = a free half marathon
30 volunteer hours = a free marathon
Click here for more details about the program and to check your current balance.
Click here to sign up to volunteer at the 2017 GO! St. Louis Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend. In addition to volunteer hours that never expire and can accumulate to a free race, you also get a free volunteer shirt!
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Race 13.1 St. Louis Volunteer Experience
The day started very early, but it was totally worth the pre-dawn alarm. Today I volunteered as a course monitor for the Inaugural Race 13.1 5k and half marathon.
My station was right at an intersection where both races take their 1st turn and then just before runners cross mile 3 or 13. My favorite point of the morning was when the half marathoners were approaching me to make their first turn, It was the coolest thing watching all the runners approaching in one long wave. I wish I would have taken a picture, but I was frozen in amazement. They just kept coming and coming until I saw the sweeper, literally carrying a broom. Not long after that, the 5k runners were approaching. Again, very cool to watch them running past with all that energy and excitement.
Once all the 5k runners were on their way, I had a few quiet moments until the fastest 5k runners were running back past me as they headed towards the second part of their course. Then there was the rush of 5k runners and then the first few 5k finishers ran past me for a third time on their way to the finish line.
The volunteer packet I received for this race not only included my neon t-shirt, but also had detailed instructions about my station including approximate times I should expect the initial wave of runners, the 1st runners from each race, and then the final runners from each race. It was pretty much spot on. The 5k runners were finishing up when the 1st half marathoners were passing me to finish around 8:15 a.m., which is insanely fast. Then came the pretty constant wave of half marathoners. Luckily, I had a great police officer with me since the course was still open to traffic and not everyone was paying attention to the runners around them. If they completely missed my glowing neon volunteer shirt, they didn't miss the officer and his patrol car on my left.
My volunteer shift was scheduled for 6:30 - 10:30 a.m. but as 10:30 a.m. came and went, I noticed that the sweeper had not come yet. By this point, the police officer had left so I just watched and blocked the road for the remaining runners to finish. Just before 11:00 a.m. I saw the sweeper and a few other runners. At that point, I thought it was safe to leave. I could have left at 10:30 as scheduled, but I know first hand how it feels to finish when it seems like everything is being packed up and the crowd support is already gone. I didn't mind, I just kept shaking my cowbell! What was ironic about waiting for the sweeper, was that she actually works for the same agency that I do.
I followed the last group of runners down to the finish line to grab some snacks, and they still had plenty of water, bananas, pizza, and beer left. I was thanked multiple times by race staff, spectators, and runners which made the experience totally worthwhile. On top of all that, I earned enough "race bucks" today to run a Race 13.1 race at any of their locations!!!!! That is an amazing deal considering that it has taken me 2 and 1/2 years of volunteering to earn a free half marathon through the GO! St. Louis volunteer program.
Check out Race 13.1's remaining 2016 races here, and please consider giving back to the community you love so much!
Runners, also be sure to post race reviews for all of your races on Bib Rave.
My station was right at an intersection where both races take their 1st turn and then just before runners cross mile 3 or 13. My favorite point of the morning was when the half marathoners were approaching me to make their first turn, It was the coolest thing watching all the runners approaching in one long wave. I wish I would have taken a picture, but I was frozen in amazement. They just kept coming and coming until I saw the sweeper, literally carrying a broom. Not long after that, the 5k runners were approaching. Again, very cool to watch them running past with all that energy and excitement.
Once all the 5k runners were on their way, I had a few quiet moments until the fastest 5k runners were running back past me as they headed towards the second part of their course. Then there was the rush of 5k runners and then the first few 5k finishers ran past me for a third time on their way to the finish line.
The volunteer packet I received for this race not only included my neon t-shirt, but also had detailed instructions about my station including approximate times I should expect the initial wave of runners, the 1st runners from each race, and then the final runners from each race. It was pretty much spot on. The 5k runners were finishing up when the 1st half marathoners were passing me to finish around 8:15 a.m., which is insanely fast. Then came the pretty constant wave of half marathoners. Luckily, I had a great police officer with me since the course was still open to traffic and not everyone was paying attention to the runners around them. If they completely missed my glowing neon volunteer shirt, they didn't miss the officer and his patrol car on my left.
My volunteer shift was scheduled for 6:30 - 10:30 a.m. but as 10:30 a.m. came and went, I noticed that the sweeper had not come yet. By this point, the police officer had left so I just watched and blocked the road for the remaining runners to finish. Just before 11:00 a.m. I saw the sweeper and a few other runners. At that point, I thought it was safe to leave. I could have left at 10:30 as scheduled, but I know first hand how it feels to finish when it seems like everything is being packed up and the crowd support is already gone. I didn't mind, I just kept shaking my cowbell! What was ironic about waiting for the sweeper, was that she actually works for the same agency that I do.
I followed the last group of runners down to the finish line to grab some snacks, and they still had plenty of water, bananas, pizza, and beer left. I was thanked multiple times by race staff, spectators, and runners which made the experience totally worthwhile. On top of all that, I earned enough "race bucks" today to run a Race 13.1 race at any of their locations!!!!! That is an amazing deal considering that it has taken me 2 and 1/2 years of volunteering to earn a free half marathon through the GO! St. Louis volunteer program.
Check out Race 13.1's remaining 2016 races here, and please consider giving back to the community you love so much!
Runners, also be sure to post race reviews for all of your races on Bib Rave.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Speaking of volunteering.....earn a free 5k or half marathon for just a few hours work
I just had to share an amazing opportunity with you!
I stumbled across this race when I was looking at the spring/summer St. Louis area race calendars. This race is new to St. Louis, but not to the East Coast. Race 13.1 now offers races of various distances throughout the Southeast and Midwest spanning the entire year. With so many races on their calendar, they can offer a season pass to make running their races in multiple locations very affordable.
I was already sold by their swag and runner benefits, but what made me fall in love was their volunteer program. Race 13.1 provides volunteers with "race bucks" for their service. Race bucks can be used for Race 13.1 products or events....any distance and at any of their locations. WOW!
I signed up to be a course monitor, which is a four hour shift. For those four hours, I earn 80 race bucks. One race buck = $1 which means I have $80 to spend on race registrations! I will be volunteering at the St. Louis race but I have one year to use my credit so I can wait and run next year's race for FREE or decide to run the Detroit race, or the Little Rock race, or Orlando, etc.
You can get more details on the program here, and I will be sure to post about my volunteer experience after the race and after my race bucks have posted.
If you would rather run, use code STL131 to save 10%. Although you could still fit in a volunteer shift at packet pick-up since you have to go there anyway....
If you want to run and support a local charity at the same time, use code YIN to have $10 of your registration fee go to Youth In Need.
I stumbled across this race when I was looking at the spring/summer St. Louis area race calendars. This race is new to St. Louis, but not to the East Coast. Race 13.1 now offers races of various distances throughout the Southeast and Midwest spanning the entire year. With so many races on their calendar, they can offer a season pass to make running their races in multiple locations very affordable.
I was already sold by their swag and runner benefits, but what made me fall in love was their volunteer program. Race 13.1 provides volunteers with "race bucks" for their service. Race bucks can be used for Race 13.1 products or events....any distance and at any of their locations. WOW!
I signed up to be a course monitor, which is a four hour shift. For those four hours, I earn 80 race bucks. One race buck = $1 which means I have $80 to spend on race registrations! I will be volunteering at the St. Louis race but I have one year to use my credit so I can wait and run next year's race for FREE or decide to run the Detroit race, or the Little Rock race, or Orlando, etc.
You can get more details on the program here, and I will be sure to post about my volunteer experience after the race and after my race bucks have posted.
If you would rather run, use code STL131 to save 10%. Although you could still fit in a volunteer shift at packet pick-up since you have to go there anyway....
Monday, May 9, 2016
A single volunteer (YOU) can make all the difference
I set a more positive record this weekend: I volunteered at a race for 15 hours, my longest volunteer shift EVER! I spent the entire morning-day-evening at "info island" answering questions and directing volunteers at the Cowbell Uncorked: Off Road 100K relay.
What I love about this relay is that it is a base camp style relay, so we see the runners throughout the day as they complete each loop, one runner after another. Around 80 teams competed in this event. A few were two-person teams, meaning each runner ran 50k. Most teams had 5 runners who each ran just under a half marathon over the course of the day.
The weather was great this year (last year it rained) and the predicted thunderstorm managed to stay north of us. I was exhausted when I finally got home, but this experience taught me so much. Seeing this side of a race made me re-think my comment about the lack of volunteers at the East St. Louis water stop during the GO! 7K. You can have plenty of volunteers sign up, but they also have to show up on time on race day. Volunteers are VITAL to race day success. A single missing volunteer can mean the difference between a runner staying on the course or going off the course. This happened at the race, and it was frustrating because my instinct was to run to that spot and start directing runners but I also had a job to do in the "info island" tent. I just couldn't be everywhere at once.
I love volunteering at races throughout the year because it reminds me about all the work behind the scenes that runners never see. Thank those volunteers along the course. Give them a high five or send a friendly smile their way. They could have chosen sleep over volunteering. I seriously thought about it when my alarm went off at 3:00 a.m., but I grabbed my coffee and went. The long hours were totally worth it and I encourage you to volunteer at races in your area.
What I love about this relay is that it is a base camp style relay, so we see the runners throughout the day as they complete each loop, one runner after another. Around 80 teams competed in this event. A few were two-person teams, meaning each runner ran 50k. Most teams had 5 runners who each ran just under a half marathon over the course of the day.
The weather was great this year (last year it rained) and the predicted thunderstorm managed to stay north of us. I was exhausted when I finally got home, but this experience taught me so much. Seeing this side of a race made me re-think my comment about the lack of volunteers at the East St. Louis water stop during the GO! 7K. You can have plenty of volunteers sign up, but they also have to show up on time on race day. Volunteers are VITAL to race day success. A single missing volunteer can mean the difference between a runner staying on the course or going off the course. This happened at the race, and it was frustrating because my instinct was to run to that spot and start directing runners but I also had a job to do in the "info island" tent. I just couldn't be everywhere at once.
I love volunteering at races throughout the year because it reminds me about all the work behind the scenes that runners never see. Thank those volunteers along the course. Give them a high five or send a friendly smile their way. They could have chosen sleep over volunteering. I seriously thought about it when my alarm went off at 3:00 a.m., but I grabbed my coffee and went. The long hours were totally worth it and I encourage you to volunteer at races in your area.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
GO! St. Louis Half Marathon race recap
It has been one week since the GO! St. Louis Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend. Saturday morning was the Read, Write, and Run children's fun run, the Mature Mile, and the 5K all in Forest Park. I spent Saturday morning working one of the t-shirt pick-up tables at the expo. It was a four hour shift but because we were so busy, the time just flew by. Not only do you get a free t-shirt for volunteering but as I mentioned before, your volunteer hours also accumulate and can earn you free GO! St. Louis apparel or free races!
After my volunteer shift, I met my co-worker/training buddy so that we could pick up our packets and walk through the expo. We then decided to eat on The Hill, which is St. Louis' famous Italian area. She chose Favazza's, and the weather was perfect for sitting out on the patio.
I was excited about this race, but also nervous. I didn't make it to as many training runs or run as much as the training schedule indicated. The longest training runs were rough and my legs just felt tight, but I was still excited to be part of the Fleet Feet group and was glad that I didn't train on my own this winter.
This was the 3rd time I have run this particular race but this year's course was different and in my opinion, more interesting since we ran over the Mississippi River into Illinois and back. I was only able to snap a few pictures at the beginning of the course since I was running with my training group for part of the course and it started sprinkling within the first five miles.
Our group started together running 10 minutes and walking one minute before repeating the process again. I was able to stay with my group until we were crossing back into Missouri. This is where two of us fell behind and I saw the group slowly disappear in the mass of runners. At first I wanted to fight to keep up, but I have run most of my races solo so I was OK with finishing on my own. The great thing about being part of a large training group was that I never felt alone because I kept seeing other Fleet Feet runners and we would yell words of encouragement to each other. While I was on my own, I wasn't sticking to the 10:1 pace. I just ran and walked when I felt like it. Then just past the halfway point, my pace coach appeared out of nowhere. She was at the base of a hill that I had every intention of walking up, but she wouldn't let me walk it. We started back on the 10:1 pace, but by that point I was pretty exhausted. Luckily, she is a talker so we kept talking (I was mostly listening) and that helped the miles pass. There were so many times that I wanted to walk, but she wouldn't let me. The hills seemed so steep, but she wouldn't let me walk and kept encouraging me. Her energy and determination to keep me moving was amazing.
Once we were finally making our way to the finish, we ran by the Fleet Feet tent and everyone screamed. This was a great spot for them because you see the finish line, loop around the block, and then head uphill to the finish and I really needed that last boost before the uphill to the finish.
My coach stayed with me all the way until the finish, and then she went back to find the other woman in our group who fell behind on that bridge. I don't think I have ever been that happy to be done with a race. I was just exhausted and so thirsty! Although my 2:42 time was nowhere near the time I had hoped for, I knew that I wouldn't have even gotten that time had my coach not been there. I thanked her for being there for me on race day, but I get a little emotional when I think about how great it was to have her there.
The Fleet Feet training experience was a great one, so I am already thinking about joining their fall training group, which starts in July. I had another half marathon lined up in May in Indianapolis but my parent's kitchen renovations had some unexpected delays and I am moving into St. Louis County next weekend, so this spring is just too hectic for all of us to go out of town. I was incredibly sore for several days after this race, so I think I may start all over with my training, literally ground zero with a couch to 5K program until the half marathon training program starts again. I also know that I am not going to get any faster until I can drop some of this extra weight, so I am going to spend more time at the gym and try to eat better too. So although my time wasn't what I had hoped and the race was literally painful, I learned a lot about myself and have many new goals going forward.
Have a great week!!!!
After my volunteer shift, I met my co-worker/training buddy so that we could pick up our packets and walk through the expo. We then decided to eat on The Hill, which is St. Louis' famous Italian area. She chose Favazza's, and the weather was perfect for sitting out on the patio.
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| Favazza's on The Hill |
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| The Fleet Feet Training group - Full and Half Marathoners of various paces |
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| Our 10:1 pace group |
Our group started together running 10 minutes and walking one minute before repeating the process again. I was able to stay with my group until we were crossing back into Missouri. This is where two of us fell behind and I saw the group slowly disappear in the mass of runners. At first I wanted to fight to keep up, but I have run most of my races solo so I was OK with finishing on my own. The great thing about being part of a large training group was that I never felt alone because I kept seeing other Fleet Feet runners and we would yell words of encouragement to each other. While I was on my own, I wasn't sticking to the 10:1 pace. I just ran and walked when I felt like it. Then just past the halfway point, my pace coach appeared out of nowhere. She was at the base of a hill that I had every intention of walking up, but she wouldn't let me walk it. We started back on the 10:1 pace, but by that point I was pretty exhausted. Luckily, she is a talker so we kept talking (I was mostly listening) and that helped the miles pass. There were so many times that I wanted to walk, but she wouldn't let me. The hills seemed so steep, but she wouldn't let me walk and kept encouraging me. Her energy and determination to keep me moving was amazing.
Once we were finally making our way to the finish, we ran by the Fleet Feet tent and everyone screamed. This was a great spot for them because you see the finish line, loop around the block, and then head uphill to the finish and I really needed that last boost before the uphill to the finish.
My coach stayed with me all the way until the finish, and then she went back to find the other woman in our group who fell behind on that bridge. I don't think I have ever been that happy to be done with a race. I was just exhausted and so thirsty! Although my 2:42 time was nowhere near the time I had hoped for, I knew that I wouldn't have even gotten that time had my coach not been there. I thanked her for being there for me on race day, but I get a little emotional when I think about how great it was to have her there.
The Fleet Feet training experience was a great one, so I am already thinking about joining their fall training group, which starts in July. I had another half marathon lined up in May in Indianapolis but my parent's kitchen renovations had some unexpected delays and I am moving into St. Louis County next weekend, so this spring is just too hectic for all of us to go out of town. I was incredibly sore for several days after this race, so I think I may start all over with my training, literally ground zero with a couch to 5K program until the half marathon training program starts again. I also know that I am not going to get any faster until I can drop some of this extra weight, so I am going to spend more time at the gym and try to eat better too. So although my time wasn't what I had hoped and the race was literally painful, I learned a lot about myself and have many new goals going forward.
Have a great week!!!!
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Giving Back
Over the past several weeks I have been giving back to the running community by volunteering at races and packet stuffing events and I had a blast at each event! It all started with the locally-famous St. Patrick's Day Parade Run in downtown St. Louis. My cousin is the course director and I have both run the race and volunteered in the past. This year I managed to get the boyfriend up VERY early to volunteer with me. He ended up enjoying it because he had the megaphone and was yelling words of encouragement as well as letting them know that the water stop was on the right. He loved the power his volunteer assignment gave him!
The next weekend I volunteered at a water stop for the Run for 21K half marathon and half marathon relay. We had a large group of volunteers and we even had a pom pom group!
The Tuesday and Wednesday evenings after the Run for 21K water stop were filled with packet stuffing for the GO! Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend. GO! St. Louis rewards their volunteers by letting them accumulate their hours towards free merchandise and most importantly, FREE RACES! So after the two nights of packet stuffing, all of my volunteering in 2014, and my upcoming volunteer shift at the race expo, I will have 19.5 volunteering hours and you get a free half marathon with 20 hours. Only one more shift, most likely at the GO! relay this summer, and I can run the half marathon next year for FREE! So not only is it fun to give back to the running community, but you usually end up with at least free shirt and snacks and sometimes a free race entry in the process. Give back when you can, you won't regret it!
The Tuesday and Wednesday evenings after the Run for 21K water stop were filled with packet stuffing for the GO! Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend. GO! St. Louis rewards their volunteers by letting them accumulate their hours towards free merchandise and most importantly, FREE RACES! So after the two nights of packet stuffing, all of my volunteering in 2014, and my upcoming volunteer shift at the race expo, I will have 19.5 volunteering hours and you get a free half marathon with 20 hours. Only one more shift, most likely at the GO! relay this summer, and I can run the half marathon next year for FREE! So not only is it fun to give back to the running community, but you usually end up with at least free shirt and snacks and sometimes a free race entry in the process. Give back when you can, you won't regret it!
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
A bad week in St. Louis sandwiched by two positive events
The good news that came the morning before the announcement was that I had finally been matched through the I Run 4 Michael (IR4) program. I first heard about this program during my yearly review at my full-time job (the non-profit) when my manager suggested I look into it because it all started because of a person we used to support. Of course I Googled it as soon as I could and a few days later I got on the wait-list. As I joined the Facebook groups while I waited to be matched, I started to realize how much this program has just exploded in popularity. At one point I was #1,100-something on the wait-list! Several months passed and in late November I saw that I was now in the low 100's. Then I received an email saying that I was on the verge of being matched and then BOOM, I received my match the morning of the grand jury announcement. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. This little bit of good news at the beginning of the week kept me going as I continued to hear bad news throughout the week of Thanksgiving.
The boyfriend, cat, and I went to my hometown for Thanksgiving and I decided to run a few times for my buddy while I was there. I ran a little on my mom's treadmill on Black Friday and then went for a muddy run on Saturday at the local nature center. I took the pictures below during my run.
The other positive event came at the end of the week, after I got back to St. Louis from my hometown. I mentioned Medals 4 Mettle in my Monumental Half Marathon post because it was started by a Dr. in Indianapolis and they had a table at the Monumental expo. I had gone to one medal distribution with Medals 4 Mettle at Children's Hospital last spring, and it moved me to tears. Most of our local hospitals will only allow us to come in on weekdays, but Ranken Jordan allowed us to come in on a Sunday this time. If you are not familiar with Medals 4 Mettle, it is a charity that has chapters all over the country and even internationally now. They collect medals from runners who have completed half and full marathons or triathlons and then they remove the original race ribbon and replace it with a Medals 4 Mettle ribbon. Then volunteers take them to children's hospitals to distribute them to patients who are running a much more difficult race than most runners can imagine. We give these medals to the patients to let them know that they are always in our thoughts and prayers and we know how hard their battles can be. Each time we give a medal to a patient we give a little speech. Most of the time the children don't quite understand why we are there but the parents frequently shed a few tears. Then I shed tears seeing them. It is just an amazing experience so if you have a chapter near you and can part with any of your medals, consider donating them to Medals 4 Mettle or going to a medal distribution at a local hospital.
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| Medals we distributed |
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| My new Medals 4 Mettle t-shirt (portion of the proceeds going to the St. Louis Chapter) |
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| Our volunteer group from last Sunday. I am in the green (before I received my new shirt). |
Have a great week everyone!
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