Moms on the Run chooses Heart Strides as charity Partner for Run Like a Mother 5K

When moms are thrown into crisis with a child who is critically or chronically ill, or face the diagnosis of a child with special needs, their entire focus goes into doing everything they can for their child. Along the way, moms tend to lose themselves, and the idea of self-care becomes non-existent. That's where Heart Strides, a national nonprofit organization, steps in — literally. Heart Strides provides new running shoes to moms caring for children with a critical/chronic illness or a special need, removing the barriers to self-care and arming moms with the message that they matter.

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Moms on the Run and our partner race organization Anderson Race Management have chosen Heart Strides as this year's featured charity for the St. Paul Run Like a Mother 5K on Mother's Day weekend. We asked Deb Johnson, a member of Farmington Moms on the Run and an advocate with Heart Strides, to tell us a little more about the organization. Here's what she had to say:

What do you love about Heart Strides?
"I jumped on board with Heart Strides because I know self-care is so important for every person, and the reality is most moms put that at the end of the list, especially moms of children with special needs or chronic illness. Our to-do lists are too long to take 30 minutes for a run/walk/or breath of fresh air. But when you do that, you have so much more to give. A pair of shoes tells these moms we see them, we see their challenges, and we are here."

At Moms on the Run, we are all about empowering women and helping them to discover — or rediscover — a lifetime of physical fitness. Moms on the Run and Anderson Races are proud to donate a portion of the proceeds from the Run Like a Mother event to Heart Strides. Run Like a Mother is a national event with races across the country, plus a virtual run. In the Twin Cities, Run Like a Mother is presented by Moms on the Run and will be held on May 12, 2018, at Lake Phalen in St. Paul. All families are invited to kickoff the Mother's Day weekend with us by celebrating strong, healthy moms! For registration information, click here. Please consider bringing a pair of brand new running socks to support Heart Strides in our second annual sock drive. 

Interested in meeting Denise Dollar, the founder of Heart Strides? If you are local to the St. Paul area, join us for coffee and community on February 10. Ask your franchise owner for details on this event, or on volunteering to support Heart Strides at the Run Like a Mother 5k on May 12.