Mercy Home for Boys

Chicago Chapter did a 60 medal presentation to the Mercy Home for Boys. The medals were presented to the Director of Special Events who is going to use the medals for special accomplishments such as: completing internships, sports related achievements and academics. These children have gone through many life challenges already. Some of them have both parents incarcerated or gone, were sold into prostitution, had previous gang activity and/or are complete orphans. Mercy Home's goal is to provide these children with a safe haven, have them graduate high school and hopefully on to secondary education. I was really grateful for the opportunity to work with them and to have these medals as a motivation to keep these boys focused on their goals.

8yr old Kloey receives M4M medal!

Kloey - M4M Central Illinois newest medal recipient! Kloey was born with a heart defect and now at 8yrs old she needs a heart transplant. Good news, she's first on the St. Louis transplant list. Special for me, Kloey and her family live just outside of town where I graduated high school. Proud to say the Alexis community raised $35,000 for Kloey's family to help offset medical and travel expenses. Navin Sadarangani, Montego Bay Jamaica, earned the medal by completing the 2010 Miami Marathon and gifted it to M4M for Kloey. A beautiful medal, Thanks Navin! All the best to Kloey and family.

2011 Osaka 100km

Japan - Over 300 finisher medals were gifted at the 2011 Osaka Ultra 100km May 21-23. Yoshiko Jo reports 130 + medals were collected the first day including ten medals earned by blind runner Mr. Miyamoto who completes races with his guide.

"What an amazing display of international good will" said Scott Dahl, M4M Central IL coordinator. The medals, weighing over 55lbs total, will make the 8,958 mile journey to central Illinois later this summer/early fall. A Japan M4M presentation day is already being scheduled.

In addition to collecting the medals, Ms. Jo completed the 62 mile race in 12:56:04! Congrats Yoshiko and Thanks to all the our Japanese running friends for donating their finisher medals.

Japanese marathoners to gift medals to M4M Illinois

Medals4Mettle Illinois (Central & Chicago) will receive approximately 100 medals from Japan later this year. Many of the medals will be gifted by finishers of the Osaka Ultra 100k/70k event on May 23, 2011. Yoshiko Jo, M4M Shonan Yuru Yuru Liason, will be collecting the medals and bringing them back to the States upon her return in August. "Donating medals to Illinois will be a token for international exchange" writes Yoshiko, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate.

Although written in Japanese, pictures say a thousand words so take a moment to check-out this Japanese running blog which will encourage marathon finishers to gift their medals to M4M:

http://blog.livedoor.jp/dorara0822/archives/51867628.html

"M4M Illinois is honored to receive these international gifts, especially in the wake of the devastating tsunami and everything our Japanese friends have endured this year" said Scott Dahl, M4M Central Illinois.

Watch for a M4M Illinois/Japan Chapter Day later this year to commemorate the presentation of the Osaka Ultra/Japanese medals.

Illinois Guard Running Team Partnership!

Exciting news at M4M Central IL! First, members of the IL Guard Running Team will help present M4M medals at our hospital networks every month. The Guard Team is comprised of IL Army/Air National guardsman who also run road races! M4M is very proud and honored to have the IL Guard Team on board - our guardsmen nationwide certainly represent the Mettle in M4M!!!

Second announcement coming tomorrow so stayed tuned!!

M4M Central IL - SJR Article - Red Cross 2011 Heroes

Thanks to Dean Olsen & Jason Johnson, Springfield Journal Register, for the article/photo on Medals4Mettle Central Illinois.

http://www.behealthyspringfield.com/sections/local-news/runner-coordinates-medal-program-for-the-seriously-ill

M4M Illinois Coordinating LPHM Pace Teams

Medals4Mettle Illinois is coordinating pace teams for the 47th Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon on April 2, 2011 in Springfield, IL. For the first time in the race's forty-seven year history, pace leaders from 1:30:00 - 2:45:00 will help runners achieve their goals. "Medals4Mettle is very excited to play an active role in this historic race around Springfield & the Lincoln sites" said Scott Dahl, M4M Central IL coordinator. Nicole Kesten, M4M Chicago, will make the trip to run LPHM as well. More race information at www.srrc.net.