2026 Charity Runners September & October
Hello Everyone!!
We hope you are well, in good spirits, and in community as much as you can be! That’s one of our favorite things about the heart work we do, is being able to connect with new runners, groups, efforts and friends. This program became possible because a handful of runners reached out to us, asking how can they support us or fundraise for the heart work we do. So, we created the Rising Hearts Charity Runner’s Program, aside from our partnership with The Wander Project (where you select a race from them, with set fundraising limits, then we receive the funds at the end of the year), and through some of our bib entries we receive at the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, California International Marathon and Every Woman’s Marathon. So don’t miss your chance to run with Rising Hearts! We help reimburse your registration fees if needed, get you fuel, a singlet, and shoes. And, we have no penalties for not reaching your goal. we’re just grateful you chose us and are supporting us in this way. Wopila tanka, many thanks!!
2026 Special Milestones:
1.) 2026: Team Rising Hearts participated in the DC Rock n Roll Half Marathon and the Boston Marathon team’s fundraising efforts and raised $4,223!
2.) 2026: Team Rising Hearts had 4 runners in the 130th Boston Marathon and helped raise $4,223 to support Rising Hearts runners, community and programming!
3.) 2026: Mel Devoney and her friends ran the SoCal Ragnar Relay and all fundraised $2,002!
4.) 2026: Mel Devoney participated in the Speed Project in March, and was able to get the team to split funds to donate towards Rising Hearts!
5.) 2026: Susie Stephen ran and finished the Kai 70k and raised $862 for Rising Hearts!
6.) 2026: Alex Staten, ran the Miwok 100k and has raised $322 of her $1,000 for this year!
7.) 2026: Liz McKenzie ran as a Wander Project x Rising Hearts Charity Runner at the Cocodona 250 this year! Even though she didn’t get the results she was hoping for, she made it to the start line and showed up, helped support other Indigenous runners and reached her $6,000 goal for Rising Hearts!
8.) 2026: Colleen Cooley celebrated her 40th return around the sun by raising $1,626 for Rising Hearts!
9.) 2026: Candace Gonzales raised over $1,300 for Rising Hearts!!
10.) 2026: Mel Devoney helped raise $500 for Rising Hearts by running in the Avalon 50k! First trail Ultra!
11.) 2026: Jordan Whetstone (founder and E.D.) helped celebrate her birthday by raising $1,405 for Rising Hearts!
12.) 2026: Dynamic duo and power couple, Ashleigh Thompson and Kendall Murie raised $649 of their $1,000 goal!
13.) 2026: Team Missoula Marathon raised $1,898 of their $2,000 goal!
14.) 2026: Team Rising Hearts is hoping to raise $4,000 for their Fall goal, ending in November! $742 raised so far.
CURRENT CHARITY RUNNERS:
We are so excited for 2026 and can’t wait to support these runners! Let’s give it up for these humans! If you want to be part of this collective heart work through movement and community, we are calling for 13 more runners to fundraise for Rising Hearts! Now, we have 28 runners signed up, 6 Rising Hearts Teams at the SoCal Ragnar Relay, Missoula Marathon, DC Rock n Roll Half Marathon and Boston Marathon, DC Juneteenth Half Marathon and, 5 who have completed their fundraisers, with 10 starting their fundraisers later this summer and Fall!
Current Amount Raised: $26,000+ of our $35,000 goal with over 157 donors.
- Rising Hearts
2026 Charity Bib Runners!
My name is Derek Thunder Hawk, I come from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. A runner that represents change can happen as I was 315lbs, a drinker, smoker and survived a car wreck that changed my life to where running healed me…I became the He Sapa (Black Hills) ambassador as the hype man for the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, Devils Tower Marathon, and Run Crazy Horse Horse Marathon also to further my involvement of running in the Black Hills did two Ultramarathons. The first Black Hills 50 (52.5 Mile) and Lean Horse Ultra 50 Mile along with being involved in any local race in this area to represent as a Native American especially being a proud Oglala Lakota.
In 2024 Rising Heart gave me that opportunity to run in the California International Marathon and to this day when telling of the runs I did it’s a surprise reaction I get “you ran CIM?” As that is one of the hardest marathons to register for and the last qualifier to get into Boston.
Any funding I can raise for rising hearts, i believe in their message and hoping an opportunity to another runner will help in their message to inspire others…it’s not just about running, once you get to see more of the world out there, you realize there is more to this world than the Reservation. Running gave me that opportunity.-Wopila
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $800
Total Raised So Far: $154
Follow DEREK on IG: @derekthunderhawk
I was initially a huge fan of Jordan and her misison to raise awareness for MMIP. I knew I wanted to be a part of the group. After last year, I really grew to appreciate the sense of community, partnership and increasing diversity in places that aren't always meant for us.
I'm part of Front Runners NYC! A pretty big LGBTQ running group in the NYC area. Worth checking out for all people in the community/allies!
August is gearing up for 9/27 - West Line Winder w/we run long & 10/4 Twin Cities Marathon! Let’s cheer him on!
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $1500
Total Raised So Far: $813
Follow August L. on IG: @technorunnerboy
Rising Hearts is an Indigenous leadership organization, that has steadfastly defended BIPOC people's and transgender people’s place in sports at a time when we increasingly face erasure and exclusion through racist and transphobic sports policies.
Go to protests, protect your neighbors, and support your local mutual aid and civil resistance organizers! This is where I’m finding meaning in my local community in 2025 and 2026.
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $1,000
Total Raised So Far: $0
Follow KYILE on IG: @kuwisdelu
I fundraise for Rising Hearts because running, for me, is about more than miles. It is about honoring Indigenous people and the land we move through—not just using it. It is about visibility, respect, and reciprocity—giving back to communities whose stories are often erased, but whose resilience is unmatched. This is my second year running with Rising Hearts, and I am back because this community is real. I have grown—not just as a runner, but as a person—by being part of something bigger than myself. As someone reconnecting with my Apache roots—Ndee—this work matters deeply to me. I run because I’m still here. And I fundraise because others deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated. Rising Hearts stands at the intersection of movement and meaning, health and healing, and culture, community, and visibility. My miles become a way to honor Native runners past and present, support Indigenous-led wellness and justice work, and turn gratitude into action.
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $1,000
Total Raised So Far: $327
Follow MARK on IG: @CORUNNINGBEAR
I was drawn to run for Rising Hearts because I want to bring awareness to the land that we are running on. Being an English educator I always want to share the world with my students and one of the worlds that I hope they learn more about is the one we walk everyday. As a transplant from Oklahoma to New Hampshire I seek to bring awareness to the indigenous lands and people we encounter in our country and Rising Hearts can help me to connect with communities that are doing just that.
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $600
Total Raised So Far: $0
Follow WHITNEY on IG: @mrs_carrier
I live in Southeast Oklahoma on the Choctaw Nation reservation and the Choctaw Nation offers the P.A.CE. program to associates who work for CNO and all tribal citizens. This program has helped me connect with local runners and races, so I can share the Rising Hearts mission with them. My goal for 2026 is to be healthy enough to complete the Dinosaur Valley 100 miler in November. I struggle with nutrition, especially during stressful times. It would be a big accomplishment to properly care for my body during this training cycle. I’ve been an athlete advocate since 2021 and it has changed my life. Knowing the impact Rising Hearts has had on my life, I want fundraise for them so that others get to experience it as well.
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $600
Total Raised So Far: $377
Follow KELSEY on IG: @longcommakelsey
I love Rising Hearts! What started as an idea to bring people together for Standing Rock, NoDAPL and for climate justice, evolved into heart work we do since May 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, to be more intersectional, to bring more meaning through movement, advocate, and uplift stories.
We have several programs, multiple short films, 38 athlete advocates, 7 Indigenous athletes, over 10 partnerships, over 30 Rising Hearts Charity runners and multiple collaborations and co-organizing events, our impact has grown and the requests keep coming. These funds will help us continue to support community and make an impact, together.
Our focus has shifted a bit more this year with applying for more grants and creative ways to fundraise!
FUNDRAISING GOAL: $4,000
Total Raised So Far: $742
Race: Run Richmond, DC Half, and Marine Corps Marathon
Follow JORDAN on IG: @nativein_LA
RUN REFLECTIONS
Khadija Davis | Rising Hearts Charity Runner
This was my first big race and everyone that I had the pleasure of interacting with was so supportive and kind. I’m constantly in awe of the running community! I love that everyone is so committed to bring in good vibes, crushing goals, and having fun. From bib pick up, on the bus ride, and at both start and finish lines, I witnessed people sharing stories about their love for running, saw folks hyping each other other, and saw so much undying love and support on the course and off. It was also so inspiring to run with so many folks of color!! The organization Black Girls Run had so many members in the race and I loved running beside their runners. I didn’t get to meet Cali in the race weekend craziness but I follow Cali on Instagram and have been so inspired watching her running journey (I may even run the full next year after watching her!)
I feel extremely grateful to have done this race with my amazing colleagues! Not even 45 mins after finishing, Toni created a doc with all of our dream races and we’re looking forward to doing more races around the country together.
Also SHOUT OUT TO RUN WILD MISSOULA!!! The biggest event they do is Missoula Marathon weekend, but what folks who don’t live here don’t see is that they play such a huge part in making running accessible all year round. I started running with their beginners running class last Sept and have love supporting all the events and races since. They take a really intersectional approach to running and I love how they partner with different organizations to get queer folks and BIPOC folks into running. I’ve loved running in their Heart Throb 5k which is in partnership with the western Montana LBGTQ+ center and their Ahmaud Arbery run in partnership with Empower MT. I’m so grateful for all the work they put into race weekend and the work they do all year round for runners in Missoula.
Emily Passini | Rising Hearts Charity Runner
The Missoula Half Marathon was my 20th half marathon. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and three days after learning about that diagnosis I ran my 17th half marathon. (A good friend said to me, “of course you did because you weren’t going to waste all that training!). I made a promise to myself during that 2023 race that I would keep running through treatment and that I would run many more half marathons in my future. I kept that promise. Being able to cross off #20 just 2 years out from treatment AND during Cancer Survivors’ Month is something I will never forget. Running with an incredible group of women made it even more special. Thank you Missoula and Rising Hearts!
Toni Webb| Rising Hearts Charity Runner
Running the Missoula Half Marathon for Rising Hearts was one of the best race weekends of my life. It was also some of the toughest race conditions I have experienced. Between the elevation and the rain, it was not easy. But spending the weekend with amazing women who dedicate their lives to making the world a better, more just place and commit to doing hard things made my heart full.
Run with purpose
Right now, to end 2026, we need 15 more runners to help raise funds for Rising Hearts! That means, if you’re already signed up for a race, and you want to help support the heart work we do, reach out, sign up with us, and we can reimburse you your registration fee. Then we can provide with you fuel, singlet/shirt, and shoes! And then we will share a fundraising link for you, and help promote you and your efforts until 1 week past your event / race.
If you feel like you have more racing left in your legs, and thinking about signing up and want to bring more purpose to your run and your why, then reach out, sign up, and we can reimburse you your fee or provide a stipend for the amount it would cost you up front. Then get you set up with fuel, a singlet/shirt, and shoes! And then we will share a fundraising link for you, and help promote you and your efforts until 1 week past your event / race. There are no penalties for not reaching your goal. We do have suggested amounts we start at - scroll down to see below! However, if you feel those amounts are too much, remember, no penalties :) We have runners with goals of $2,000 to $250.
It’s fairly simple. It doesn’t need to be strict or hard like some other organizations have it. We are just grateful to connect with you and support you!
If we were to get a minimum 15 runners to join us, here’s what this could look like:
15 runners x 800 (suggest max limit) = $12,000
15 runners x 500 (suggest min limit) = $7,500
We still have 4 months to reach our goal for Rising Hearts! Let’s keep it going!
We recently missed out on 4 grants, made to second round or reviews. And, l we recently just lost a grant with a big company, that helped cover the pay for our PTE Programs Coordinator role. The last year and a half has been especially hard with loss of DEI initiatives and funds that support more deeper/meaningful support for organizations, groups, like Rising Hearts and many other community friends that felt these impacts.
With your help, you help keep the heart work going, help bring more runners to the start lines, help increase representation on panels and attending conferences and outdoor/running expos, more shoes and gear to make it more affordable and not a barrier, and more films and storytelling to elevate more voices and awareness to the things we advocate for and care.
And to everyone who has fundraised with Rising Hearts in 2025 and so far in 2026, WE APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH! Wopila tanka, many thanks!!!
OPTION ONE: THE WANDER PROJECT
WANT TO RACE FOR RISING HEARTS OUTSIDE OF THESE WE HAVE SELECTED?
Not seeing a race you want to run in this list? Check out all of the Wander Project events and choose the “Your Choice” option. They will reach out to learn more about your charity of choice and once you let them know that you’ll be running for Rising Hearts, they will make sure your funds come to support our mission!”
Athletes who want to support Rising Hearts for a race that is not listed, can sign up for any of the events on The Wander Project calendar: https://www.wanderproject.org/event-partners/ and pick 'Your Choice' for charity and then fill out the form to indicate they want to support Rising Hearts: (FAQ page here: https://www.wanderproject.org/athletes/frequently-asked-questions/).
Reach out to us via email, info@rising-hearts.org. Share with us your plans, then we’ll set you up with the link!
OPTION TWO: RUN FOR RISING HEARTS!
Dedicate any race you have signed up for to Rising Hearts. If you want to register for one, we can reimburse your fee, if needed (pending fee and may need to be added to fundraising amount)! Donation page is through GiveLively where you can create you own account to fundraise. Through this new option, we had 37 runners dedicating their run / race to Rising Hearts for 2025, with $36,181 raised, meeting our goal! And rounding out 2024, we had 5 California International Marathon runners as well! There are no penalties for not reaching your goal!
Suggested minimum fundraising limits:
RH Athletes / Community = $600
Non RH Athletes / New Allies/Friends = minimum $800
Perks: RH Singlet, merch, stickers, fuel, and if shoes are needed, we can help you! We are excited to learn from you and support you. We are here to amplify your efforts through our platforms and help you reach your goal.
Email us at info@rising-hearts.org if you’re interested in dedicating a run and raising funds for Rising Hearts.