Live United at the marathon

Training for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon on October 18? Consider making United Way your charity of choice and join a community of runners committed to making a difference. All you have to do is make a small donation when you register for one of the marathon events, which include a 5K, marathon relay, half and full marathon runs and competitive walks.

As you begin your training, what better way to increase your motivation than to run for a cause? By running or walking in support of United Way, you’ll be helping people throughout Southeast Michigan with the three things we all need for a good life: education, income and basic necessities. You'll also get to meet other like-minded athletes who care about improving our region.

There are many ways you can participate:

• Make a donation when you register. Simply select United Way from the list of options. We’ll be toward the bottom, so look closely!!
• Already registered for the race but forgot to donate? Don't worry, you can still join us. Just click here.
• Start a fundraiser. We offer all the tools you need to invite others to support your cause. Creating a fundraiser offers a great opportunity to engage your friends and family in your training and preparation for the race. Just go to www.active.com/donate/unitedwaysem and click on "Become a Fundraiser".

• A Live United running jersey to wear on race day (for donors who give $25 or more).
• The opportunity to connect online with other runners and walkers. You’ll be able to find training buddies and moral support as you work to meet your marathon goals.

Doing our part to promote Detroit

We’re all a bit tired at United Way these days, but it's the good kind of tired. The kind of tired you feel after seeing a job well done or a lofty goal met. After all, we just hosted 1,300 colleagues from around the world for United Way of America’s Staff Leaders Conference (SLC) held in Detroit, May 12-15. A job well done, indeed.

Detroit was the shining star as conference-goers sat in on sessions at Cobo Hall, attended receptions at the Renaissance Center, and uncovered nightlife in Greektown.

We were sad to see our fellow colleagues leave, but so happy that they each took a few days out of their busy schedules to join us in our hometown for this annual conference. The SLC provides an important opportunity to network and share best practices and it is much anticipated each year. In addition to the usual conference fare, this year's participants also heard inspiring words from a variety of keynote speakers, including Dolly Parton, founder of an early literacy program known as Imagination Library, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

It's fitting that United Way of America chose Detroit to host this year’s event, especially at such a critical time in our city’s history. Our region is at the epicenter of the economic issues facing the entire country, and it offered an appropriate location for staff from across the country to discuss how we bring our respective communities out of this downturn stronger than they were before.

To properly host an event of this size, we had to enlist the help of over 300 volunteers, and we are eternally grateful for the added manpower they brought. Whether they stuffed gift bags or welcomed attendees at the airport and hotel, our volunteers showed off the true spirit of Detroit.

So, while we are quite tired, it’s time to get back to business. The conference provided lots of new ideas to combat the issues we face and we’re anxious to put them into practice.