One of our favorite things about publishing Macaroni Kid is the chance to connect with other moms in our community. Often times these connections inspire us and remind us of the ability of one person to make a difference. It is with this in mind that we launch a new article series called Mom on a Mission. Our hope is to introduce you to some amazing moms living right in our communities who not only are doing unique and wonderful things but also deserve to have some attention brought to their mission.
I have known Jaime Menold since our firstborns were babies. We met in a Stroller Strides class, and our paths have continued to cross ever since. Jaime is a member of the Ben Towne Foundation Eastside Chapter, a group of moms in the Issaquah Highlands committed to raising awareness and money to help cure pediatric cancer. In the past four years, they have raised and donated over $250,000 toward groundbreaking research accomplished at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research
In 2013 Jamie combined her compassion for the cause of pediatric cancer with her passion for fitness and organized the Accelerate the Pace 10k/5k & Kids Dash benefiting the Ben Towne Foundation. The race is now in its third year, and there's still time for you to register to participate on October 10, 2015.
Jaime Menold is on a mission that is two-fold: to raise funds in support of pediatric cancer research and - much closer to home - to lead by example and teach her own children the power of compassion. Please get to know this local mom a little better by reading her answers to our questions.
In 2013 Jamie combined her compassion for the cause of pediatric cancer with her passion for fitness and organized the Accelerate the Pace 10k/5k & Kids Dash benefiting the Ben Towne Foundation. The race is now in its third year, and there's still time for you to register to participate on October 10, 2015.
Jaime Menold is on a mission that is two-fold: to raise funds in support of pediatric cancer research and - much closer to home - to lead by example and teach her own children the power of compassion. Please get to know this local mom a little better by reading her answers to our questions.
What is your MISSION? What do you want to accomplish?
Accelerate the pace is a family-friendly run that embodies the spirit and goals of ben towne foundation—
to accelerate the pace of pediatric cancer research—changing the way childhood cancers are treated and cured.
Honestly, my Mission is to raise really great kids so I am trying the "lead by example" route in hopes that they will see what I do, and will be inspired to be passionate about something. Raising two boys is more challenging than I expected. I have a lot of compassion and empathy, two emotions that come VERY easy to me. My kids are working on that, and I want them to see through me that it really does create a better community when we treat others how we want to be treated, and give back when we can!What inspired/encouraged you to join the Ben Town Foundation Eastside Chapter and organize Accelerate the Pace?
Hillary Atkins is our amazing founder of the Eastside Chapter. She came to me after the first Benefit and said, I want to do something, so we did. We started recruiting our friends who we have worked out with for years, and everyone said yes and brought a friend along! Our first event was a Garage Sale like no other on a very rainy wet day in June in the Highlands. We vowed to never do that again, and decided since most of our chapter came from our fitness connection, a Race just made sense. Our goal was to create a family-friendly event on the Eastside, so Accelerate the Pace 5/10K and 1K Fun Run at Marymoore Park was born!
What lessons/values are you learning through this process?
Through this process I am learning that I take on a lot and don't like to say no, which isn't a good thing. However, I think the realization that I need to set boundaries was actually good. I always say my kids have to learn the hard way, but apparently sometimes I do to. I love to volunteer, but it does take a toll on your family if you are gone all the time. Over the years I am learning about balance and, of course, having a heart for what you are doing. I BELIEVE in this Foundation. I am passionate about it and want EVERYONE to know what amazing things they are working on, all the successful trials and remissions that are taking place. My kids have seen the work I do and sometimes they are frustrated, but when they hear about a sick kid that is just a little older than they are who is alive today because of Ben Towne Foundation, they understand it. Compassion and Empathy. I hope, I hope that is what they are learning!
What do you do to take care of yourself and how do you make time to do it?
My morning workouts take care of me. It's exercise and therapy wrapped in one! I take classes at Barre3, and at the end of every class, we center ourselves and THANK ourselves for taking one hour to regain balance and do something great for our bodies. I love that. I love to have movie nights with the girls, hike and go wine tasting. Our weekends are spent watching a lot of sports, but I love that family time and am truly enjoying watching my kids find success and be part of a team!
What can we do to support Accelerate the Pace?
COME RUN! We need runners. We know that October is hard and there are a lot of sports scheduled on a Saturday morning, so if you CAN'T run, please support a team! You can go to www.acceleratethepace.org and find a team to sponsor! All donations go directly to the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research.
Connect with the Ben Towne Foundation Eastside Chapter on Facebook.
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Find out about our other MOMS ON A MISSION:
KRISTEN BRANTNER is on a mission to make a difference in the future of rare disease and created a local non-profit called RAREevents.
CHRISTIE MALCHOW is on a mission to make sure the city hears the voices of young families and is running for Sammamish City Council.
Connect with the Ben Towne Foundation Eastside Chapter on Facebook.
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Find out about our other MOMS ON A MISSION:
KRISTEN BRANTNER is on a mission to make a difference in the future of rare disease and created a local non-profit called RAREevents.
CHRISTIE MALCHOW is on a mission to make sure the city hears the voices of young families and is running for Sammamish City Council.
