David Rain, tenor, runs for Biodiversity

       

           It’s me again, pester…uh, inviting you to sponsor me as I attempt to complete my 20^th Marathon, this year with a bit of a twist.

This May, I’m celebrating my 20^th anniversary working with USC Canada, and so I’ve decided to “celebrate” it (naturally) by running my 20^th marathon!

The twist is this: I’ll first need to complete the Blue Nose Marathon in Halifax, this Sunday (May 19), coincidentally my 19^th Marathon, and then (after practicing all my concert pieces, of course) I come back to run the Ottawa Marathon on May 26, for my 20^th marathon, a total of 84 km in one week, phew.  

David Rain, tenor, runs for #Biodiversity stairwellcarollers.blogspot.ca/2013/05/david-… #marathon #charity #volunteering #inspirational #donate
— Holly Massie (@HollyWroteit) May 19, 2013

The object of this craziness is this: I'm running wild to support USC’s work with seed-saving farmers in Ethiopia.

If you'd like to sponsor me, I warmly invite you to make a special Run for Biodiversity donation to help our work with farming families in Ethiopia.

Alternatively, cheques can be made out to “USC Canada”, and cash is always nice to the touch….

For more info about USC’s work in Ethiopia and our Run for Biodiversity, have a glance below. Thanks for helping me through my 84 km celebration!

NB: Andrea and I both joined the Carollers in 1993, so this is also my/our 20^th season with the choir! J

David

I'm running wild for food and farmers. Support USC Canada's Run for Biodiversity!

David Rain Legacy Gifts and Donor Recognition

Coordinator, Run for Biodiversity USC Canada 56 Sparks Street, Suite 705
Ottawa, ON Canada K1P 5B1

Tel: 1-613-234-6827, ext 231

Fax: 1-613-234-6842

www.usc-canada.org

"He's Africa's True Hero"                                                                                         May 1, 2013  David's "4 Biodiversity" Blog   Melaku Inspires us to Run for Ethiopian Farmers! Hi everyone, and a very happy May Day to you all! Today marks my 20th anniversary with USC Canada, and I'd like to celebrate it with you by sharing a few pieces of great news.      Canadian Volunteers go the Distance for Ethiopian Farmers I'm so excited that 66 dedicated volunteers have already signed up as members of our Run for Biodiversity teams in Halifax and Ottawa. They'll be running or walking distances ranging from 2 to 42 km in support of our work with seed-saving farmers in remote areas of Ethiopia. My colleague Sarah Dalle - our Program Manager for Ethiopia - will run the 5 km race in Ottawa (May 25) to raise funds for the farmers she works with directly. Check outSarah's recent report about the impact our work has been having in the field. Nicholas's "50 by 50" Project Another of my colleagues - Accounting Coordinator, Nicholas Galambos - has entered the Blue Nose Marathon in Halifax on May 19. Nicholas, 46, has set himself the astonishing goal of running 50 marathons by the time he turns 50. He's fast closing in on his target: Halifax will be his 45th! Canada's Success Story in Africa! In 1989, renowned Ethiopian scientist Dr. Melaku Woredeco-founded our award-winning Seeds of Survival program. I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Melaku back in 1993 and he has been a hero and mentor ever since. And not just for me, but for thousands of others around the world, including many of our R4B team members! Dr. Melaku spoke in Ottawa recently, and he was featured in a number of media articles. Have a glance at a summary of these articles, or simply read the full article in the Huffington Post. As you'll see, Dr. Melaku has been called "Africa's true hero," and "his efforts are clearly Canada's success story in Africa." I can't tell you how much of a thrill it is for me to see Dr. Melaku getting this well-deserved recognition.    My Own "20 by 20" Project As for me, I'm trying to "walk the talk" too, or perhaps "run the talk," as I'll be joining Nicholas and the R4B team in Halifax for the Blue Nose Marathon on May 19. Then, a week later on May 26, I'll be joining Sarah and the R4B Ottawa team, attempting a second marathon! If successful, I will have completed 20 marathons to help celebrate my 20 years with USC Canada!  I'm dedicating these back-to-back marathons to Dr. Melaku and to the millions of seed-saving farmers in Ethiopia and around the world whose livelihoods and rights he has made his life's work.  A Chance to Make a Difference If you'd like to sponsor Sarah, Nicholas, myself, and our team of 66 R4B volunteers, I warmly invite you to make a special Run for Biodiversity donation in support of our Seeds of Survival work in Ethiopia. No amount is too small. Every dollar counts. Thank you for supporting Dr. Melaku's work and for being part of the solution!       David Rain  Coordinator, Run for Biodiversity USC Canada    P.S. Have a look at our short video, Banking Diversity, to see Ethiopian farmers in action and to hear Dr. Melaku talk about Seeds of Survival.