The 'Thon!!

This past weekend was our somewhat annual "Bike/Blade/Walk-a-thon" held at Dockweiler Beach which is a fundraiser for Christian Challenge. The idea is to raise sponsors for walking 10 miles, rollerblading 15 miles or biking 20 miles (most of it on the Strand, so nice and scenic!). All the money raised goes to students going overseas or doing Project Impact (www.goprojectimpact.com :) and this year we have TON! We have one student going overseas, but now 13 or perhaps more doing Project Impact!! So exciting, so it was awesome to raise money for them. At the end of the day we raised close to $10,000!!! It's the most we've ever raised that I know of :) And of course we had a competition. If the girls raised more than the guys, then my boss, Neil, would have to bike in a dress, whereas if the guys raised more than the girls, then his wife, Melinda, would have to bike in floaties and other random gear. So who won you ask? Why, the girls did of course!!! YES!! The girls raised more overall, but the guys raised more per capita, so we compromised. Melinda biked halfway in a shower cap, floaties, water aerobics belt and gloves and then the other half Neil biked in a dress I got for him at the Goodwill by USC. It was amazing. It's more of a poncho than a dress, or a "ponchess" or a "droncho." I walked 10 miles and while it was awesome, I was a bit tired afterwards. I took a 2 hour nap which I never do and it was loverly. Also, you think that walking/running 10 miles would burn a lot of calories right? I bet it does, but right when we were done we had a feast waiting for us! I had a hamburger, some pasta salad, chips, fruit and veggies, and then 3 cookies and 2 rice krispie treats - soooooo, I basically gained back any calories I burned and then some, but ah well, it was amazing :)

Here are some pics from said event!!


This is Josephine, Crystal, Michelle and Amy getting ready pre-thon!


This is Neil, trying to figure out how to put on this poncho/dress thing...


And success!! This is Neil in the dress - the best $8 I've ever spent :)


This is Melinda, in her wonderful outfit. Apparently she was also a traffic hazard, because she told me that as she was biking on the road, a woman was driving near her, and about to turn right but she kept staring at Melinda, to the point where people behind her were honking!


This was my car for the 'Thon - Emily, Lauren and myself :)

It was a lot of fun, and we've held the 'Thon for 6 years I think since I came to USC and this was the 3rd time I've actually been able to do it!! I did it my freshman year and then 2 years ago (the last time we held it) and then this year. In the in between years I was the snack girl at the halfway station for the walker people, and that could be fun, especially when I did it one year with a friend of mine from my sorority, Amy!


Ahhhhh, good times with Amy :)

So yay for being healthy enough to be able to participate in it this year! Woot!!





And with that, I leave you with the funny of the day: