Running the Boston Marathon for Alpha
Hello, I am Teresa Cramer and I am a runner.
I started when I was six years old. Out of sheer curiosity of what it meant to “go for a run,” my dad let me tag along and I haven’t stopped yet. I am a dreamer. As a teenager, I dreamed of running the Boston Marathon and imagining my place in bringing wholeness and redemption to our world. I am a woman. In college, I began to realize the influence and importance my voice and actions hold in shaping my community. I am made in God’s image. Throughout life, God continues to teach me how I am created and woven together. I am created to work towards justice and mercy. God has placed in me a desire to see women, from all backgrounds, have an environment that is safe, supportive, and encouraging during pregnancy and labor. This desire has led me to become a birth doula, where I am able to work with women and families to provide physiological, emotional, and informational support during pregnancy and childbirth. Every women and family needs to know they are worthy of being loved, supported, and nurtured during this life changing experience of bringing forth new life into our world.
What I do at alpha
At Alpha, I am a GED tutor and co-facilitator of the Birth and Infant Feeding Happy Hour. I have attended two births the past few months with moms I’ve meet through Alpha’s GED program and Happy Hour as a support person and volunteer doula.
Info about race
The Boston Marathon will be held Monday, April 18th, 2011. The Boston Marathon has been a dream of mine for years. It is a challenging course and requires a qualifying time in order to participate. I ran my qualifying time at the Grand Rapids Marathon in 2009.
Why I’m raising the money
I am hoping to raise money to begin the Doula Project at Alpha Women’s Center in Grand Rapids. The funds would allow women who are not able to afford a doula, a way to have access to one. The doula would provide physiological, emotional, and information support during pregnancy and labor. The need for this has become even more evident to me over the past month when talking to mentors and moms at Alpha, as many moms are going through labor alone or with family who is not supportive or encouraging. Having doula support may be the first time in some of these women’s lives where they are being encouraged and supported in a positive way about who they are and how they are created. This has the potential to transform lives as it empowers moms to have a voice in their pregnancy and labor, and a positive interaction with their bodies during labor and breastfeeding. Just imagine what confidence this will build in women we meet, and what other life changes they may begin to see possible as they gain confidence in their own strength and abilities. I want to see women flourish in their ability to be a mother, and know they were created uniquely and good by God. I am running for this to become tangible for women I have met at Alpha.
I would love for you to join me as I run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the development of a Doula Project at Alpha Women’s Center of Grand Rapids. We are hosting a fundraising dinner Saturday, March 19th at my home in Grand Rapids. Please see the attached invitation for more details about the evening (It’s going to be fun and have lots of good food!). If you are unable to attend the dinner, but would still like to know more about the Doula Project and why I’m making this apart of my Boston Marathon experience, I attached my fundraising letter as well.
Doula Fundraising Letter for Boston Marathon