(This might not be the best title, since I feel like I’ve gotten to know a bunch of you here through this here series of tubes!)
It’s the holiday spending season, and I wanted to point you toward a use of your money that won’t translate into more toys on your floor. You can sponsor a runner in this Sunday’s Honolulu who is running to support TAPS, an organization providing support to the families of those who die on active duty in the armed forces. TAPS is accepting general donations, but you can also sponsor a particular runner on Team TAPS.
Mike Dunford (from whom I found out about this) explains:

A death in the family is a massive tragedy, and creates a great deal of upheaval in the lives of those left behind. For the families of active duty troops, this disruption is even more massive. Besides dealing with the loss, the families frequently need to move – often to someplace where they haven’t lived for years (if at all, in the case of the children). TAPS provides many forms of assistance to the families of the fallen, from grief counseling to aid with the day-to-day problems involved in re-establishing some form of normal life. The organization is not government funded, and relies on donations to do its work.

Thanks in advance for your kindness. It really can make a difference.