It is the end of summer, and my favorite fall weather is on the way! While I don’t miss paying tuition, I do miss back to school shopping…maybe I’ll treat myself to a new backpack. If you’re not training for a fall marathon, or if you had to drop out of the marathon you hoped you’d run (darned COVID-19), the end of summer is the perfect time to seek out a new challenge. This year it seems like everyone and their brother is hosting a fall charity challenge. I’ve gathered up a few of them that might interest you (and maybe your dog, too?).

STEPtember

• The Challenge: 10,000 steps per day
• The Cause: Funds raised during support Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF), the foremost nonprofit in the world focusing on research and innovation for cerebral palsy.
• More: https://www.steptember.us/

100 Mile Challenge

• The Challenge: run/walk 100 miles
• The Cause: Stop Soldier Suicide provides a proactive approach, meeting individuals where they are. The team provides personalized care and continued case management, with met health support, housing assistance, resources, and referrals among other services.
• More: https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/facebook-challenges and https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/

32 Mile Dog Walk Challenge

• The Challenge: walk 32 miles with your dor
• The Cause: FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education)
• More: https://www.foodallergy.org/ (search facebook for the challenge form)

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

• The Challenge: run/walk 50 miles; 50 mile stroller walk; 72 hole golf challenge
• The Cause: The American Cancer Society
• More: https://www.cancer.org/involved/fundraise/virtual-challenges.html (search Facebook for the challenge forms)

Run Across America Fall Frenzy

• The Challenge: choose your goal
• The Cause: End hunger. Funds raised go to Feeding America, which delivers more than 4 billion meals each year to people facing hunger in communities across the country; they are continuing to meet the increased need brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic
• More: https://nationwiderun.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/nationwiderun/

Pushups for PanCan

• The Challenge: 20 push-ups a day
• The Cause: Funds raised go to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network which provides support and education to individuals facing pancreatic cancer, and leads large-scale, groundbreaking research initiatives to change the way pancreatic cancer is detected and treated
• More: https://pancan.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/pancan (search Facebook for signup form)

The Million Mile 2022

• The Challenge: run, walk, or cycle with others to reach one million miles
• The Cause: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s mission is to change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families, and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer.
• More: https://www.alexslemonade.org/campaign/the-million-mile-2022

Run-Walk-Roll Steptember Challenge for Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month

• The Challenges: (1) run/walk/roll 110 miles; (2) 2200 lunges; (3) climb 110 flights of stairs; (4) 2200 box jumps/step ups
• The Cause: The GALEA Foundation supports law enforcement personnel with healthy avenues for engagement.
• More: https://www.galeafoundation.org/ and ttps://www.facebook.com/galeafoundation

150 Mile Cycle Challenge

• The Challenge: cycle 150 miles
• The Cause: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the largest funder of cutting-edge research to advance cures. LLS is the leader in advancing breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics, and personalized medicine.
• More: https://www.facebook.com/LLSusa/ and https://www.lls.org/

The 40 Mile Dog Walk Challenge

• The Challenge: walk your dog 40 miles
• The Cause: September is Muscular Dystrophy awareness month. A caring and concerned group of families started Muscular Dystrophy Association in 1950, and continues to relentlessly pursue their promise to transform the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases, through research, care and advocacy.
• More: https://www.facebook.com/MDAOrg and https://www.mda.org/

The Great Cycle Challenge

• The Challenge: choose your distance
• The Cause: “Riding to fight kids’ cancer.” Funds raised go to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood cancer. Since 1981 CCRF has contributed over $200 million to research, support programs for children and families, and education and awareness outreach.
• More: https://greatcyclechallenge.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/GreatCycleChallengeUSA/

108 Miles/30 Foods in 30 Days

• The Challenges: (1) run 108 miles; (2) eat 30 different foods on the challenge list (example: broccoli)
• The Cause: Prostate Cancer Foundation
• More: https://www.pcf.org/pcam2022/108miles/ (108 miles) https://www.pcf.org/ (general)and https://www.pcf.org/pcam2022/30foods/ (30 foods)

The September Challenge

• The Challenge: run or walk 65 miles
• The Cause: Epilepsy Foundation of America supports the more than 3.4 million people living with epilepsy by funding epilepsy research and providing education including but not limited to seizure recognition and first aid training.
• More: https://www.facebook.com/EpilepsyFoundationofAmerica and https://www.epilepsy.com/

60 Mile Challenge

• The Challenge: walk 60 miles, representing the 60 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer each day
• The Cause: Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance is on a mission to cure ovarian cancer, advocate for patients, and support survivors
• More: https://www.facebook.com/OCRAHOPE and https://ocrahope.org/

38 Miles for NICU Awareness Month

• The Challenge: walk 38 miles
• The Cause: March of Dimes works to end preventable maternal health risks and death, preventable preterm birth and infant death, and lose the health equity gap for all families.
• More: https://www.marchofdimes.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/marchofdimes/

Are you up for a challenge this fall? What are you going to try? If I missed your favorite fall challenge, drop a link in the comments!