You're listening to the running around Charlotte podcast presented by the Health Charlotte Marathon. 1 day 5 events with a race day distance for every goal and pace. Find out more or register at run charlotte dot com. The running around Charlotte Podcast is brought to you by our partners at Nova Health Orthopedic. Runners like you are always on the move. Twisted ankles and broken bones can't wait, and
neither should you. Nova Health offers walk in appointments and same day care at select orthopedic clinics to help you get back on pace. Visit nova health dot org slash ortho now to learn more. Now, here are your hosts for the running around Charlotte podcast, Tim Rhodes and Dc casey.
1 of the many great things about the Nova nevada Health Charlotte Marathon is how this event continues to give back to the community In case she didn't know the event has contributed nearly a half a million dollars to its beneficiary the Avant Health Children's hospital. 1 of the folks that helps us make that connection between the runners and the community and our charitable partner is Betsy Za.
Betsy has been the champion head cheerleader and Captain of Team Hem since its inception, and she's our guest today on the running around Charlotte. Podcast presented by Nova nevada Health Orthopedic. Betsy. Welcome to the program. How are you doing today? I'm good. How are you guys? Kim in Dc? I'm fantastic. Dc here. It's a beautiful day out, at least as of this recording, it's a beautiful day. So true. So true. Betsy what's Cooking friend. How are you? All good things.
Yeah. We've got the twentieth year coming up and? It is bonkers. It is bonkers. Yeah. I remember running what Charlotte Marathon for the first time in 94. What you when you were 7 years old, that was... You dash like. That was back. That was back when it was the Charlotte Observer or Marathon. Yeah. Yeah. It was. But now, you guys have done such great things. I think it's like 1 of the coolest events in the city of Charlotte, and I'm just happy to be apart.
Give some of the runners that participate, to also connect with Him b Children's hospital and the great things that they do. Well, I'm so excited to hear with you guys and talk about it. I I have really good news for you. We have... We have so many more people for you to work with this year. So we just got through our our price break, expired. The the discount
has has gone away. There's an another discount still available, but it's not as deep But as of comparing this year to last year, as of that price break, you know, after July first, we are up. 30 percent from last year. And last year, we were up 30 percent from the year before. And 22, we were up 30 percent over 21. So on the 21, we were up a hundred percent over 20 because we didn't do anything in 20. No So we're growing exponentially. I think I think we could hit 9000 this year.
I love that. Yeah. Let's make it 5 figures. So you're just 10000. Let me walk it back for just a second, in case both of our listeners may have missed who you are and what you do. Tell everybody, Yeah. About your role. With team him mb and the No 1 house Cheryl Marathon? Sure. So this is my, a third year, officially in this role. And what I get to do is first and foremost have a front row to fund in generosity. So people who are running the Charlotte Marathon.
Have the chance to give back to the community and connect with the community through Him Children's hospital, anybody that goes to the website to register when they check out, they have the option to donate, a hundred percent of those donations go directly to Him b Children's hospital. And if you want, you can become a member of Team Hindi, which is just what we like to call a Vip experience. So for those who want to connect, they can donate 262
dollars or fund raise that amount. With that, you get all the Vip treatment we can think of, and some people just email me and ask for different things, but that includes a t shirt that includes, bi weekly check ins with the whole team, so a little bit of encouragement if you wanna stay accountable. You get free bag check, with yours truly on the morning of the race, so you don't have to wear those clothes and feel like you have to, you know, leave them on the street just hand them to me
or my team out there. We all have the t shirts on, and we'll have it folded for you yet at the finish. I'm not guaranteeing my folding is great. Folded cleaned press. No. Just folding. Not longer. We pull this up for me. Said shirt, so we kinda had it that in. That's funny.
Also, at the finish line for your families, for people who are waiting for you and cheering you on, we're gonna have some hot chocolate, coffee, We try to throw a space heater if the generators will connect it, not guaranteed, but, you, it all weather dependent any anywhere. And so we we have a dedicated space. For for you to meet up with your family, the cool part about that. Also is the Hindi hospital patients that are a part of the race. We'll be waiting there to
congratulate you as well. So we are excited about our connection with Him b children's Hospital. It is a beautiful place for here in Charlotte, something that you never wanna know about, but always love to know that it's there in case you need it. So it's a joy. That's what I get to do is I get to provide a Vip experience for team hindi. I get to connect runners with the hospital, so anybody that wants to take a tour or hear more about it. The option is there, and that's on the website as well.
Of, I I and I just gotta say Think you see. I I love the way you put that. I get to. Not I have to. I get to. And that I... That's what I love about you, Betsy is your your frame of reference is I get to do this. And and it... It's exciting. Every day I can tell you... You're always got a smile on your face, so thank you. Keep going. What else you got? Okay. Thanks. So we we have the charity chaser. Which is another little piece of support for Children's Hospital.
The Charity Chaser start at the very back of the race, and they are raising dollars for every person they pass. This is a chance for our corporate sponsors for for people who small companies and local people who want to get involved. They can donate a thousand 7000, a hundred thousand dollars to these Charity chaser. They're gonna rep them on their t shirts on their social media channels, and, the charity chaser are just some special folks that have a passion.
For him be children's Hospital in the Charlotte marathon. So you'll see them out there in their bright orange shirts, and I believe they'll be on the podcast coming up some in the ball to tell you more about that. Now related, we're... Let's just say somebody's listening this. Either 1 of our listeners are picking this up the day that it drops. So we're about 20 weeks away from the event. Is it too late to get involved in Team Him or the Charity chaser? Never. Never too late.
November 16. Race day is the day. And even after that. We'll take it for 20 25 That's sharepoint point. Never too early. We're always always excited to have people learn more I participate or be a part of it. I went to a store 1 time, a specialty running shop up in Minneapolis friend of mine owns. And I It it was after hours or 4 hours I don't remember. And I wanted to get just something that reminded me of that shop. And I said,
is it... Too earlier too late to buy this and he looked at me said, the registers is always open. So the register the registers is always open here. Right? You know, like, you can always join and you can always join team hem or the Charity Chaser or whatever and part of that. So who gets to so we don't get confused though. Who are... Last year the Charity Chaser were Jimmy and sunk. And they're not this year. They're they're rotating? They're not And it's they're in the support
role. They're in an Am role. Okay. And who are the charity chaser this year? Have we identified them yet? Well, so we have... And we have a group, this year, we have a group of about 5 that are kinda battling each other out. For those 2 Charity Chaser spots. Reason being... Yeah. So if you wanna throw your name in the hat to be a charity chaser... Sir. I wouldn't I wouldn't pass many people at this point.
We're in we're in overseas and a recruiting user But, no. So so they're all working together first and foremost to raise money and awareness around him children. So they're working with people they know. Maybe somebody listening has gotten and asked from 1 of the Charity Chaser to support them. And then, about a week out from Race day, we will, we we will have the 2, and then we will have their support crews. So if you guys were out watching the race last year or a part of the race.
You saw 2 Charity chaser, and a crew up about 5 or 6 surrounding them and sharing them on during different portions of the race. We'll do the same thing this year. It's gonna be awesome. Alright. So we'll have 2 Charity chaser. And the Charity Chaser are the ones that raise money. Everett... Well, anybody can raise money for him and children's insurance. Right? Now, we have dozens of fun. So so how do you raise money for Charity Chaser If you're not a charity Chaser or yourself.
You go. So they have a fundraising page. Very good. On the charlotte Marathon. Alright. Website. And so if you go to the Health Charlotte Marathon. And you click fundraiser, you'll see Charity Chaser. They raised over a thousand dollars so far? Very good. Coming in lot. There you go. I like it.
That is fantastic. And 1 of the things that I just... I absolutely love about this along with everything else that's going on with it is the storylines, and you've introduced me to some incredible people over the last couple of years who had some very personal connections to hem children's Hospital, and that's just a beautiful thing. Tell us about, I mean... And then there's no... There's no real age limit not and
either. We've met some we've met some some young folks as who've been part of team him being over the last couple right? Yes. So we always love to bring people who have a connection to Him Children's hospital. Some
have been in their... You're Nicu and pick you units, neonatal intensive care, and pediatric intensive care units, we we also have had patients that have just had to use him before you know, different injuries and and different illnesses that they've add come back and be a part of this race. And so we love to show that support back to the hospital for all of the nurses and doctors and case workers and care workers that are over there. A lot of the nurses and doctors are
part of the race as well. So it's just a beautiful community connection. That allows us to say thank you all the way around. We all know that movement is such a gift that we get to do every day. And to give thanks for that as well as the the hospital that gets people back moving and proven, parents and children alike has been really great. But, yeah, Dc each year, we we have meaningful mile patients, which are patients and families that dedicate their time, to be there both on race Day and
before race day. So afford the cause. They gave out the awards last year for the marathon a half and the 5 k. Some of their parents and families even participated, And these are, some children who have been a part of him currently, and some of them got out of the children's hospital you know, when they were at a year old and now they're 8 years old and
still giving back. So it's just a great community connection come out there if you'd like to meet some of the patients go over to the hospital and see some of them. Please let me know. My email and info and everything's on the website. I'm sure y'all will link it here to too. I really absolutely. And and and I think it's also important to mention that, and as you said earlier, this is such an incredible resource to have in this community and 1 that we hope. No 1 ever has to use.
But so it's like, yeah There's that, but it's also important to note that you don't have to have a connection with the hospital. In order to participate with team ham mb or the Charity Chaser. No way. Babies and running. They're just no fun. Exactly. You don't have to have a connection just have to use yourself wanna be awesome. Right? Look, for the last, I... I've met some of the coolest fundraiser have no connection to children's hospitals whatsoever. I, you know, A teacher. A firefighter,
a banker, a real estate broker. I mean, you name it. They have gone above and beyond in this quiet, generous way to raise some funds for people who they will never meet, and maybe never know, but wanted to give out of the goodness of their heart to make their marathon or their half marathon or 5KA meaningful day to them. And so... Anybody can do that. It's awesome. Yeah. So III like goals. I I like to have something to look forward to achieving.
Last year, I think we raised what was at a hundred and 38000. Do we have a goal this year? Right So our our hundred thousand dollar goal on our website. We'll we'll stay that way. We're almost halfway there. We're a couple hundred dollars short from having raised 50000 dollars so far for for Hen beach children's Hospital. Alright right. And, yeah. So we're hoping to knock it out of the water this year. So we
we're looking to you. We're looking to the runners out there to the people who are sitting there this summer saying. Gosh. Yesterday was the halfway poll part of 20 24. What am I gonna do for the next 6 months? Raise some money. Make a goal, run a race. Put some meeting behind your miles and make it happen. I mean, you're gonna look at November sixteenth and say that was so much fun. I guarantee it. That's... We... We gotta be way ahead of where we were last year.
Yes. Oh. We are. Awesome. That's good news. That's a year awesome. I love your enthusiasm. I love everything you do. I'm so glad you're a part of the team. You uplift... Our spirits every time we talk to you. And for the runners and the people who are out there doing the real work raising money, I know they feel the same way. Oh, I'm so thankful for you guys. I'm thankful for everybody who's a part of this race. You know, like said at the beginning, this is such a cool event for the city of
Charlotte. Charlotte, has a lot of cool events. But to be a part of this and to connect a up and down the streets and all around is just a joy. So I love being in a part of the ride. Now you yourself are a runner 2. Correct? I try. You tried. But didn't you recently run a a marathon somewhere? Where did you... Recent... Yes. Kind of refill. Tell tell us about that? Come on dear. God oh, you knew we had to go then oh, man. I like Bragging out here, Betsy.
Yep. So I I got her in the Berlin Marathon, which was the first time I'd ever run. Anywhere big like that. It was really cool. To internationally see the people from around the world Just, yeah. How running unites, people, from all different backgrounds, all different ages and stages and it's just a really beautiful sport. I know y'all both think that as well, but it's just something that anyone can do if they put their mind to a race, whether it's 3 miles or 26.2
miles or a thousand mile. I don't know if people running or not. Run and do now. But just to get out there and move together, community, you know is something that I value tremendously connection is something that I value tremendously and running bring those brings those together in always. So The Berlin Marathon. No, That was last fall. Right? Yeah. It was. Yeah. Because I got a friend who's running it running it this year.
And he's... Is that right? Just starting to get his training ramped up just in time for the heat and humidity. I around here. It's a tough... It's it's it's a tough marathon. Cycle to do just in, like, July and August for those heavy miles, but it's super fun. Because it's late to right think. Yeah. It's cycle You gonna tell us how you did. You gonna share your results. No. No. I forgot. Forgot. Man. We're gonna put your a links link
in the show notes as well. So like you wanna check out Betsy check out. Now I do that to too you Betsy. You're awesome. And and and everybody know you're fast anyway, So that's neither to hear nor there. But I look forward to seeing you soon. We have, know, some training runs coming up for the for of the marathon, which I know I'll see you out of those. But as you said you were available 24 7... You 3 65.
The website there. If you wanna find out more about Team hem or find out more with the Charity Chaser, the door is literally always open, heck. Right Betsy Probably let you do that thing on November fifteenth if you ask nice enough, but, you know, It's all. Oh, yeah. And look, last year, we had 223 members of team hen. There's all people that raised over 262 dollars. Yeah. Our, we would love... To increase that this year and just really give you a
vip experience. If you're coming in from out of town if you're, local and want some family to support you and have a place to meet up, and and kinda be a part of it. We can make things happen, sir Just let me know what you need. I'm excited. Perfect. Like you said, just find it. When you you can find it when you register for the Nova Hills Charlotte Marathon, you can find the information there. If you've already registered and you happen to miss it when Not
a worry. You can go back to the charlotte marathon dot com and check it out there or heck, you could just flip on right on over to the show notes, and we'll put the link in there. All, good. Betsy, It is always a pleasure to have you on the show. So excited for 11/16/2024 and the twentieth anniversary running of the old 1 Charlotte Marathon. Keep on doing good work, Girl. Thanks. That's. We love me. Appreciate you. Thank you. Right
you. Alright. Bye. The running around Charlotte Podcast is presented by the Health Charlotte Marathon. Running around Charlotte is produced in partnership with well run media and marketing. New episodes are available every week. Anywhere you listen to podcast.