LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The children’s charity Let’s Erase the Stigma Educational Foundation (LETS) launched its “Let’s Run!” fundraiser at the San Francisco Marathon on July 31, 2011, where athletes raised more than $10,000 to benefit LETS Clubs that educate youth about stigma and mental illness. LETS has just added three more annual races to its cause: the Los Angeles Marathon and the Modesto Marathon on March 18, 2012; and the Hollywood Half Marathon on April 7, 2012. Participants can receive reimbursement of their race registration fee and an iPod Touch for meeting fundraising goals.
Fourteen fundraisers finished with Team Let’s Run in San Francisco, which was followed by a celebratory luncheon in Berkeley that included toasts from Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, Professor of Psychology at University of California Berkeley and LETS Co-Director of Research; Philippe Fontilea, Founder and Chair of LETS; and Doris Smeltzer, Founder of Andrea’s Voice Foundation. Ms. Smeltzer compared recovery and stigma to endurance sports, stating, “Healing from an eating disorder and erasing the stigma and shame of mental illness are marathon endeavors—completely doable and necessary—but they both require the stamina, heart, and faith of a marathon runner.”
Raising the most funds was half marathon finisher Will Egan. He began running 10Ks and charity races in 2000 as part of a family tradition of giving. “As a family we all made a commitment to support some charitable organization in some way every year,” Egan says. When his cousin was diagnosed with lymphoma as a college student, he ran with ten family members who collectively raised more than $60,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Egan ran for LETS because of another personal experience. “I’ve been looking for a great organization that I feel strongly about and that touches me. The second I got to the [LETS] webpage and read four sentences into...the goals of the organization, I thought, this was meant to be.” Egan has seen the effects of stigma in his own family, which has been affected by eating disorders. “Why aren’t people more open to acknowledging and trying to help solve [mental health concerns] as opposed to treating people with stigma, almost forcing people to not do anything and not say anything until it gets worse and worse?”
Egan plans to run another half marathon with LETS. The children’s charity provides a “Let’s Run Kit” and will join more marathons across the United States, connecting mental health and physical fitness to raise awareness and prevent issues like bullying and teen suicide.
"Working with LETS on their San Francisco Marathon fundraising campaign was an absolute pleasure,” says Erin Sheehy, Charity Program Manager of the San Francisco Marathon. “Not only were they organized and enthusiastic in their communications with our staff, but they put a lot of effort into making their team of runners feel very supported. I look forward to working with them again next year!"
About Let’s Erase the Stigma Educational Foundation
LETS is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) children’s charity dedicated to erasing the stigma of mental illness by funding and developing educational programs, mentoring opportunities, and research possibilities designed to empower youth to change the perception of mental illness. LETS Club members in schools and community centers discuss stigma, learn about mental health, and lead peer-to-peer educational projects. For more information, contact LETS at (888) 594-5387 or visit www.letserasethestigma.org/letsrun.