Earlier this year I had the opportunity to work on a communications program to raise awareness for a charity. It was through where I work (yes I have a day job) and it involved following 28 volunteers as they trained and eventually climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, all the while raising money through various fundraising efforts that were eventually donated to an organization that helps needy children all over Africa. 

Once the volunteers(and my employer) reached and exceeded the fundraising goal, I wrote a press release and quoted one of the climbers saying "climbing a mountain was nothing compared to what these kids have to do every day just to stay alive."

This stuck with me so when Jen, my effervescent leader here at UrbanMoms, asked if I wanted to accept the challenge of running a 5K to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure and document my journey here, I agreed.

Now, back to qualifying the mountain metaphor. Running five kilometres is surely nothing compared to climbing an actual mountain. I am sure many readers could run five kilometres backwards while sipping a grande non fat latte and texting their husbands about what they should pick up at the hardware store on the weekend. But for me, who needed a doctor to tie a band around my stomach to stop from eating to explosion, this type of journey will take a certain amount of discipline and will.

And my training and eventual attempt at running the CIBC Run for the Cure is nothing compared to what women afflicted with breast cancer have to deal with everyday, so for me, this is the least I can do.

Old dogs, new tricks:

I am surrounded by women that I appreciate and love all the time. From my life long (fingers crossed honey!) partner Stephanie, to my two mothers Lorraine and Michele (just kidding, Michele is my sister, she only acts like my mother some of the time, and who could blame her, sometimes I need as much motherly help and advice as one man could personally manage) to my lovely stepmother Miriam, my pistol of a mother in law Heather, to my step and half siblings (it's convoluted, you would need a PowerPoint deck and a half day seminar to understand my family linkages) to some of my oldest and closest friends Kristy and Jenn, I am a very lucky man.

My ma and my wife and also two of my best friends.

For more info on CBCF Ontario, click here

So. I accept this challenge. I will captain an UrbanMoms team that will train and fundraise and run (walk? crawl? slither?) in the 5km on September 30th. I will wear a pink wig, a pink t-shirt, spray paint my shoes pink and put these legs in motion and do my best hoping I won't jiggle to much as my dogs pound the pavement in support of CIBC Run for the Cure.

Which UrbanMom cares to join me? 

Click to register for your own team, or find out more about donating or volunteering.

You can also join the Run for the Cure conversation on Facebook or Twitter.