150 Miles for a Better Future

150 Miles for the Future

I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL ONLY SEE CHANGE IN THE WORLD IF WE INSPIRE AND EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION TO CONQUER ANY OBSTACLES THAT HAVE LIMITED PEOPLE IN THE PAST.

Who Am I Exactly?

My name is Jimmy Wentworth and I want to raise $10,000 for YEP, by doing something I thought was impossible for myself just two years ago.  I'm going to run 100 miles over three days (September 25th, 26th, and 27th). Then, on October 3rd I am going to run 50 miles.   Previously I have run over 30 miles five times, but never 100 miles.  

Will it be painful?  ABSOLUTELY.

Will I want to quit? MOST LIKELY.

Will I finish every last mile? 100%.

WHO AM I DOING THIS FOR?

YEP! (Youth Empowerment Project) is an organization that deserves every chance at being successful.  They have a beautiful vision of a community where all people have access to the opportunities, skills, resources and relationships to have an incredible life.  For the city of New Orleans, YEP has been a vital part of getting young men and women the tools to build an empowered future.  Their core values of Respect, Accountability, Kindness, Progress and Integrity allow them and anyone involved to stay on the right path.  These core values are the reason I was so drawn to them.  Although I was never a YEP participant, I recognize that I can do something to make a difference in the lives' of the ones they do serve.

Why Am I Doing This?

I recognize that I had many advantages growing up and no matter what i went through, I had people around me to make me feel empowered to go forward.  When my friend Beaux Hebert introduced me to the Youth Empowerment Project, I stopped immediately and thought long and hard about the three words that give it its name.

Youth- I first thought about my youth and how I had so many incredible memories.  From sports to school to family camping trips in the woods, my youth years shaped me into who I am and the people I want to impact in this world.  Then I thought about my years as a teacher and man oh man did those kids teach me a lot about the reality that plagues the Louisiana school system.  It broke my heart daily as I saw foster kids scared to be themselves because they've never had a life of normalcy, but really get to know them and you see a child starving for a better life and to be seen by a family, for who they really are.  Or the kid that sees nothing but violence when they get home and think that they can't be vulnerable because it shows weakness.  Those kids changed my life.

Empowerment- Even through many tragedies in my life, specifically losing many loved ones, I always had people that made me feel empowered.  My family, my teammates, my teachers, and my coaches, simply gave me support and that is all I believe children need to feel empowered.  They need to know that no matter what happens, they will have someone or a group of someones to lean on.  To cry to.  To vent to.  They simply need love, kindness and an honest voice to say, "hey, you got this."  If we want to make this world better, we need to empower our younger generation.

Project- I personally think that life itself is a constant series of projects.  You have a starting point, objectives, benchmarks to completion, road bumps along the way, a lot of time you need support from a partner or team, and you ultimately have a finish.  

That's what inspires me about YEP.  They don't just give a few kids some resources and send them on their way to figure things out.  They go above and beyond to help with providing mentors, educational assistance and guidance, job placement for teens and young adults and even provide enrichment and summer camp opportunities for kids.  All of these things look to me like a special project that everyone who helps YEP should be proud of.

It's inspiring to me the statistics and success that YEP is having on so many lives and giving so many positive opportunities for kids and teens that may never have those chances.  It inspires me as a father of a toddler that such an organization exists because these generations that get the help of YEP will be so empowered to change the world.  

I'm doing this because I hope to inspire just one person to do more and to push their boundaries and to realize that we have so much more that we can do to make an impact on the future.  A future that is so prosperous for every race, gender, sexuality, religious affiliation, etc.  I want to show my daughter that she can do absolutely anything she puts her mind to and will always have someone in her corner.   

The history of YEP speaks for itself and I challenge you to go to their website youthempowermentproject.org and see for yourself.

Thank you,

Jimmy Wentworth