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About 26 for 26 26 Miles for 26 Charities is the philanthropy program of the Austin Marathon. The program provides Central Texas non-profits with the opportunity to advance community awareness while raising money to support their mission. Participating non-profits host a water stop on the marathon or half marathon course. Each non-profit is assigned their own water stop and will be represented by over 1,000 volunteers. Runners will find great themes along the course, many of which reflect the mission of the non-profits. We hope this provides a moment of joy for the runners as they make their journey to the finish line. The Austin Marathon provides us with an amazing opportunity to showcase our city to the world. 26 Miles for 26 Charities is a great way to highlight the many wonderful organizations who selflessly give back to our community. The final list of selected charities for the 2010 Austin Marathon will be posted shortly. Questions about 26 Miles for 26 Charities? Contact Ainsley Williams at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Charity List Since its founding in 2004, ACTIVE Life, formerly Youth InterACTIVE, has been dedicated to generating greater demand for healthy, ACTIVE lifestyles and to working with government, schools, organizations and corporations to make these lifestyles more accessible. Based in Austin, ACTIVE Life, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, provides health- and fitness-based tools, resources, programs, products, media and events to tens of thousands of youth and families throughout Texas. ACTIVE Life was designated a “Most Promising Initiative” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and received “Best In Class Health & Fitness” from the Texas Department of State Health Services. ACTIVE Life fuels the national ACTIVE Life Movement, a movement dedicated to establishing an American culture that values physical activity, healthy eating and an environment that promotes and supports healthy lifestyles. This movement focuses on creating demand for active and healthy lifestyles, products, services and activities while delivering the ACTIVE Life messages (Move, Fuel, Honor) that serve as the foundation of the ACTIVE Life Movement. To create and sustain the ACTIVE Life Movement, ACTIVE Life is involved in early childhood health programs, schools, community initiatives, consumer outreach, healthcare systems, corporate programs and governmental services.
Contact:  With the sole focus of children’s mental health, Austin Child Guidance Center (ACGC) is the only outpatient nonprofit facility of its kind in Austin/Travis County. The mission of ACGC is to improve the mental health of children and their families through early intervention, diagnosis, and treatment and to help them develop the emotional skills for meeting life’s challenges. Comprehensive mental health services include individual, family, and group therapy; psychological assessments; psychiatric evaluations and consultations; parent education; community presentations and consultations; as well as training of current and future mental health professionals. Counseling and therapy services are available on a sliding fee scale and no one is denied services if unable to pay or without insurance. The majority of families served are working poor or lower income and have few or no options for the supportive services and help offered by our experienced staff. ACGC has been accredited by the Joint Commission since 1986, an accreditation held by most major hospitals. Established and receiving nonprofit status in 1951, ACGC provides services from a main office as well as in several community settings, including local elementary, middle, and high schools; the juvenile justice center; childcare centers; and a community health clinic. We provide children and families with comprehensive mental health treatment to ease problems such as trauma, depression, anxiety, parent-child relationship issues, grief, and loss. Our services are built upon five core values:
Contact:  A leader in its field, the Austin Children's Shelter has provided emergency shelter, high quality care and hope for the future to the abandoned, abused and neglected children of our community since 1984. ACS provides a variety of critical services and programs to children from birth to 17 years old in need of emergency placement including: medical and dental care, group and individual therapy, formal testing and evaluation as well as full assessments. In 2009, ACS not only commemorates 25 years of service to children but will also open its new facility to care for even more children and youth who need a safe haven. This expansion includes a charter school, longer term care for youth who need it and family based services. Through these programs, ACS reduces emotional trauma and lays a foundation of hope for the future of the children in its care. To learn more about the Shelter and the expansion, visit the website or call 512-499-0090.
Contact:  The Austin Sunshine Camps are owned and operated by the Young Men's Business League of Austin. Founded in 1928, the Camps seek to teach life skills, self confidence, trust and teamwork, while providing outdoor fun through traditional activities like hiking, swimming, canoeing, and sports. The Austin Sunshine Camps serves over 850 high-potential, low-income youth every summer, and their year-round leadership and mentoring programs serve many more. The Camps provide an overnight summer camp experience at NO COST to the children's families.
Contact:  Blue Dog Rescue, founded in 2000, is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to its mission of finding forever homes for homeless dogs in Central Texas. Thousands of dogs were euthanized in Travis County alone last year, and many of these would have made excellent companions. By working to find permanent homes, Blue Dog Rescue seeks to reduce the number of animals who die in Central Texas shelters. Most of our dogs come from area shelters and animal control facilities with high euthanasia rates. At any given time, we have approximately forty dogs in a network of 12-15 foster homes, and since our founding, we have saved the lives of almost sixteen hundred dogs.
Contact:  Serving the community for more than 28 years, the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (CAFB) currently provides food and grocery products to 355 Partner Agencies in 21 Central Texas counties. Food is distributed to human service agencies that assist the poor, ill, homeless, victims of crisis, children, and the elderly. The CAFB service area covers 19,064 square miles in Central Texas.
Contact:  Colin's Hope is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that creates and supports programs that aid in preventing children from drowning. Despite numerous sources for water safety, the number of children who drown per year is staggering. Colin's Hope of saving children from drowning is being achieved through increased water safety awareness and improved standards throughout the community.
Contact:  The mission of Communities In Schools of Central Texas (CIS) is to provide support and leverage community resources for schools, students and their families to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. CIS addresses students’ unmet social service and behavioral health needs where students are – in the schools. CIS responds to students’ dropout warning signs through a process of referral from teachers, administrators, and students themselves for poor student attendance, behavior, or academic performance. A CIS Program Manager, who manages the CIS office on campus, acts as an adult advocate for referred students by assessing a student’s needs and developing an individualized service plan for addressing those needs. CIS creates a network of volunteers, social services, businesses, and community resources that work together to break down barriers and help students succeed. Over the past 24 years, CIS has grown to provide year-round services on 56 public school campuses within five school districts reaching at-risk students in five counties.
Contact:  Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most lethal childhood genetic disease. Duchenne causes progressive weakness in boys: Their cells do not express the protein necessary to repair and regenerate muscle fibers.. Historically, most boys with Duchenne have not survived their teens. There currently is no cure but there are therapies now in human trials that could dramatically change the outcome for Duchenne boys. That’s where CureDuchenne comes in; Our VISION is our name...to CureDuchenne.. Research is costly, but our commitment is to raise the funds needed to support these trials where ever they occur. Our boys traditionally haven’t had a voice to tell their story, but you can listen today. Through individual support we are on the verge of a break-through, which will result in a Cure to this horrible disease. Please log on to our website and support the Boys who need your help!
Contact:  Children's Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas serves as the fundraising arm for Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. Through philanthropy, the Central Texas community helped build this outstanding regional facility. Our goal is to help make it one of the top children's hospitals in the country.
Contact: Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas www.childrensaustin.org Lauren Madden This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 512-324-0170  The Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to spreading awareness and educating its membership and the general public about all issues associated with Down syndrome. This is accomplished by the development of activities and programs that promote inclusion and acceptance of people with Down syndrome in our community. Formerly the Down Syndrome Support Group of Central Texas, the group was renamed in 2003.
Contact:  The Gazelle Foundation was founded in 2006 and inspired by Burundian native, Gilbert Tuhabonye, owner and coach of Gilbert’s Gazelles. The Foundation implements charitable efforts to improve life for people in Burundi and offers assistance to children of our community. The Foundation was founded by runners and friends seeking to encourage the entire community to support victims of adversity and local youth through running-related programs. The Foundation's efforts are unifying and non tribe-specific. In Burundi, the Foundation will focus on providing shoes, potable water sources, timely access to medical care, and housing for displaced residents. Our first water project has begun in the mountainous Songa province of Southern Burundi. The project will provide water to the approximately 2000 people in the immediate area. In Central Texas, the Foundation gives back to its community by providing enriching opportunities to actively engage youth in physically fit, healthful lifestyles through awareness, education and participation. In January 2009, the foundation awarded its first grant, allocating $5,000 to provide free entry for children running in the Daisy 5K on February 28, 2009. The gift covered entry fees for up to one thousand children participating in the Kid’s K portion of the race. On November 8, 2009, the Gazelle Foundation will present the 3rd Run for the Water 10-Miler, 5K and Kid’s K race in Austin, slated as ‘Best New Race of 2007’ and ‘Best Austin Race of 2008’ by Austin Runner Magazine.
Contact:  Girls on the Run of Austin is more than a running program. It is a philosophy - a way of being. Girls on the Run of Austin is a life-changing character development after school program for elementary school girls, starting with 3rd grade (ages 8-12) that uses the power of running to teach every girl about her personal power and the importance of being healthy and active. Girls on the Run of Austin combines healthy living education with training for a 5K (3.1 miles) running event over 12 weeks. Our programs instill self-esteem and strong values through health education, life skills development, mentoring relationships, and physical training - all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff and the community. The goal of the program is to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development. Furthermore, we encourage participants to talk with their family every day about what is going on with them. The 12-week curriculum attempts to help each girl find and stay true to her REAL self. As a celebration of achievement, all girls complete a local 5K race.
Contact:  Goodwill provides job-related services and opportunities for people with barriers to employment. We believe that all people, regardless of barrier or disability, should receive the supports needed to find a job and go to work.
Contact:  The Hill Country is one of the most beautiful natural areas in Texas. Sparkling clear water, plentiful birds and wildlife, rugged ranches and gorgeous views grace this unique part of Texas rural character. Unchecked development and rapidly encroaching suburban sprawl are threatening to destroy thousands of years of unspoiled beauty. But stopping economic growth is not a viable or wise solution. Hill Country Conservancy was founded in 1999 and over the past 9 years has successfully brought together environmentalists and real estate developers to create a reasonable plan for preserving the Texas Hill Country that we all love. We work to ensure a healthy environment and economy in the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer region by preserving natural areas, scenic vistas, rivers and streams, working farms, and ranches and the rural heritage of the Texas Hill country for generations to come.
Contact:  At the Lance Armstrong Foundation, we fight for the 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. There can be – and should be – life after cancer for more people. That's why we kick in at the moment of diagnosis, giving people the resources and support they need to fight cancer head-on. We find innovative ways to raise awareness, fund research and end the stigma about cancer that many survivors face. We connect people and communities to drive social change, and we call for state, national and world leaders to help fight this disease. Anyone anywhere can join our fight against cancer. Join us at www.LIVESTRONG.org.
Contact:  Through a variety of programs, Manos de Cristo provides critically important services to thousands of people in the Greater Austin area. Our dental clinic, food pantry, clothes closet, and education programs lead clients toward self-sufficiency by providing much needed services in a caring and nurturing environment. The various programs at Manos are supported by faith-based and secular organizations, corporations, foundations, and individual sponsors, and rely heavily on the work and dedication of numerous volunteers. Dental Clinic Since 1990, the Manos de Cristo Dental Clinic has provided tens of thousands of appointments to Austin’s working poor. People that come to the Dental Clinic are in dire condition and many on the brink of serious health issues and have nowhere else to go. Our goal is to never have to turn anyone away. Education Programs 14% of the population earns less than the federal government guideline. Manos provides education and job training to the working poor with the goal of improving their computer skills and financial literacy, as well as their English proficiency. Basic Needs For the working poor, any difficult circumstance—a temporary work shortage, an injury, an unusually high energy bill, for example—can cause stress and hardship. Many have no safety net and rely on churches and non-profit organizations to help with everyday basics. Manos provides emergency care so that difficult circumstances do not escalate into dire ones. These emergency provisions help lessen stress and allow families to weather their circumstances until they get back on their feet.
Contact:  Our Mission: Marathon Kids© is a 13 year old, FREE, endurance building running/walking/nutrition and gardening program for K-5th graders. We build joyful community around children and are quickly accepted into public, private and home schools as a long term, innovative celebratory fitness program, resonating with the child…and with the child’s family. The child develops the love and habit of moving through space and carries forward the power of muscular, nutritional and psychological well being. We serve 180,000 USA K-5th graders with our incremental, six month running and nutrition program. In Austin alone, there are almost 70,000 registered children of all income levels. Our target market are those most vulnerable to type 2 diabetes and sedentary lifestyles. Because the children build habits, we help them move from sedentary to non-sedentary and help restore their natural vitality.
Contact:  The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the only national organization creating hope in a comprehensive way through research, patient support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure. The organization raises money for direct private funding of research—and advocates for more aggressive federal research funding of medical breakthroughs in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network fills the void of information and options by giving patients and caregivers reliable, personalized information they need to make informed decisions. We create a sense of hope and community so no one has to face pancreatic cancer alone. The organization helps support individuals and communities all across the country work together to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for pancreatic cancer.
Contact:  Rawson-Saunders School is Texas’ only accredited, full-curriculum school specifically for children with dyslexia in grades one through eight. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive educational program for professionally diagnosed dyslexic students by using research-based methods to meet the educational needs of each child in a supportive environment. Additionally, the Rawson-Saunders School serves as a unique and valuable resource to individuals affected by dyslexia through outreach, advocacy, and awareness opportunities. Rawson-Saunders School’s unique focus and success rate draws students from all over Central Texas. Families have also come from as far away as San Antonio, New York and California to give their child the best chance of breaking dyslexia’s cycle of failure and transforming their lives. Dyslexia is a neurobiological disability affecting a person’s ability to deal effectively with text, numbers, and related concepts. It is characterized by an unexpected disparity between reading ability and intelligence. Dyslexia, because of its neurobiological basis, cannot be cured over time. However, children with dyslexia can reach their full potential if their learning environment is designed to address their unique needs. Rawson-Saunders School meets the educational challenges of dyslexia head-on by delivering a unique, evidence-based dyslexia learning model. The program provides individualized, multisensory instruction in language arts, math, social studies, science and fine arts, integrated with academic language therapy. In the classroom, teacher-student ratios range between 1:8 and 1:10; in academic language therapy, the ratio is no more than 1:2. Rawson-Saunders School offers a comprehensive educational environment for dyslexic learners that can not be achieved within the limits of a public school setting. The school has a 100% success rate in teaching children to read, in improving overall student performance and in improving children’s self-esteem. For further information about Rawson-Saunders School, contact Drenda Haddock, Director of Admissions at 512-476-8382 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The school is located at 2600 Exposition Boulevard in Austin, Texas 78703. Visit our website at www.rawson-saunders.org. Join us as we celebrate academic excellence for dyslexic children at the Changing Lives: One Child at a Time 2010 Gala on March 6 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. Call 512-476-8382 for further information. Sponsorships are available.
Contact:  The RRISD Project Graduation 5k and Kids K is the only fundraising event where all four Round Rock high schools come together to raise money for their separate Project Graduation celebrations. These celebrations are self-funded without monetary support from the schools or tax dollars. We invite you to join in a fun community event to support this effort. Project Graduation is an all-night celebration for seniors on the night of high school graduation. Project Graduation originated in Maine in response to the deaths of 12 teenagers in alcohol-related highway crashes. The idea of Project Graduation is spreading across the nation because graduation night and prom night are the two most deadly nights for teenagers. Project Graduation has saved lives in every community where it is held and hundreds of schools in the state of Texas now host these parties. This celebration lasts throughout the night and is packed with food, activities, music, prizes and entertainment. This event provides a fun and safe environment for the graduating senior’s last social event together.
Contact:  The future physical health outlook for our children appears grim. The United States Surgeon General estimates over nine million American children are overweight. That means, children are 30% heavier than their counterparts a generation ago. Researchers have linked this increase in obesity to a lack of physical activity. Additionally, income inversely correlates to obesity such that more unfit/overweight kids live in lower-income areas. Children living in poverty are at greater risk of obesity. As a result of this research, schools across the nation have begun measuring fitness levels via the Fitnessgram. Nationally, only 33% of school age children score within the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) across all six levels of fitness measured. The Born to Run Foundation is addressing this lack of fitness by offering running curriculum and training programs to children. The BORN TO RUN program aims to develop the whole child physically, emotionally, and mentally. By engaging children in fun, physical activities, we directly impact their physical well being. With the completion of the program, we indirectly impact their emotional and mental states. By creating an environment for success, we help to instill confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of self worth. Our goal is to create healthy, whole children. We build fitness, wellness, and self-esteem through movement. Over the course of twelve weeks, BORN TO RUN kids participate in running curriculum aimed at preparing them for an age appropriate race. Following the four pillars of training, Born to Run provides kids in this once a week program with
Contact:  Some children, like those at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have to struggle through their daily lives while battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The St. Jude Heroes program has been developed to enable individuals throughout the country to run or walk for a great cause – finding cures, saving children. With patients as their inspiration, St. Jude Heroes can train for one of our Signature Events, the Austin Marathon, while encouraging family and friends to support their efforts. By signing up as a St. Jude Hero, participants receive support to meet athletic and fundraising goals, while earning great prizes and incentives at various fundraising levels. St. Jude representatives provide Heroes with the tools and information they need to succeed, whether they decide to walk in the half marathon or run in the full marathon. Registration into the program is $10, which goes toward the overall fundraising goal and includes a fundraising packet, personalized fundraising webpage, e-newsletters with patient stories, and free online training program powered by active.com. St. Jude is an internationally-known center for research and treatment of childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Since opening in 1962, St. Jude has treated patients from Austin, across Texas and all over the world. Fundraising programs like St. Jude Heroes are vital to the hospital’s mission and for keeping the doors of St. Jude open.
Contact:  Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, Marathon for the Cure©, a program of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is a grassroots fundraising program offering runners the chance to join in the fight against breast cancer by running in the Austin Marathon. Marathon for the Cure expands the reach of Komen for the Cure beyond the 5k and offers distance runners and aspiring distance runners the opportunity to raise much needed funds in support of Komen for the Cure’s vision of a world without breast cancer while training for and running in the Austin Marathon.
Contact:  “For the Soldier and Airman by the Soldier and Airman” Our Foundation’s motto, “Home Front Heroes,” honors those who run for the cause, as well as those whom our Foundation serves: the families of our service members. Fundraising activities will benefit the foundation’s efforts to strengthen family connections with our deployed forces as they serve wherever duty takes them, and aid in providing immediate emergency assistance for service members and their families. The Texas National Guard Family Support Foundation is a volunteer non-profit 501(C) organization made up of Soldiers, Airmen, Civilians, and Community Service Groups who care about the military and their families. Its mission is to help support the needs of those serving our state and nation in peace and war. The Texas National Guard Family Support Foundation is a non-profit organization founded, in 2004, by a group of existing and former Texas National Guard members with the purpose of supporting the needs of those serving our great State of Texas during both peace and wartime. We are established to aid in immediate emergency assistance for Texas National Guard military members and their families. All of the Foundation’s funding comes from donations made by caring individuals who wish to support the Texas Military Forces and their families. This is an all volunteer organization; all donations are used to support the soldiers. This year, the TXNG Family Support Foundation bestowed over $40,000 in grants and loans to the families of mobilized Guard members who are separated from their families while deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. When tragedy recently struck a Texas Guardsman, severely injured in a helicopter crash, the TXNG Family Support Foundation granted this family some immediate funding to help alleviate their basic needs and enabling them to rebuild and move forward. Through your contributions, the families of our service members can obtain rapid assistance for urgent needs when disaster strikes. We salute our “Home Front Heroes” who carry on community service and family duties while our Soldiers and Airmen are away at our State and Nation’s call. Mission: Foster growth by bringing our Citizen Soldiers and Airmen together with the community to support the needs of those serving our great State of Texas, during both Peace and War.
Contact:  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has invested more than $600 million in research specifically targeting blood cancers. Austin Marathon participants may raise money through either LLS or through our Team in Training (TNT) program. (see TNT information under training section)
Contact: Official 26 for 26 Training Partner: Rogue Running26 Miles For 26 Charities, the philanthropy program of the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon, is proud to announce the addition of Rogue Training Systems its official training partner.Rogue is one of the premier training programs in Austin, and is supporting the non-profit community with half price training for runners who are raising money for one of the organizations involved in the 26 For 26 program. Rogue offers a variety of locations and times to fit any schedule. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon Training Programs will include weekday AM and PM options at Circle C, Downtown, North Austin and Round Rock locations, along with the choice of Saturday or Sunday long runs. All runners will receive a technical fabric training shirt, informational email, team forum and newsletter access, instructional clinics, a weekly training schedule, organized group workouts, discounts at Rogue Equipment, an experienced, inspirational coach and a place within Austin’s premiere running organization. For more information check out roguerunning.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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