Kathy Donates $1000
Heather Ekstrom running for diabetes
Chris Miller
Thursday April 07, 2005
COLD LAKE -- A Cold Lake realtor will be embarking on an extraordinary adventure in Amsterdam.
Representing Team Diabetes Canada, Heather Ekstrom is training for the Amsterdam Marathon, recently voted one of the top 10 marathons in the world. The marathon is Oct. 16. Competing will allow Ekstrom to not only see the sites in this "Venice of the North", but also fulfill her personal dreams and save lives.
Team Diabetes Canada is a nationwide adventure fund-raising program of the Canadian Diabetes Association to support diabetes research and education through participation in international marathons and other events.
Ekstrom’s grandmother died in a diabetic coma eight years ago. Her inspiration for this marathon also comes from Alanna Bauman, an 11-year-old girl from Cold Lake with insulin-dependent diabetes.
Running is nothing new for Ekstrom, presently employed with Realty Executives. Her first marathon was the 2003 Canadian International Marathon in Toronto. This qualified her for the Boston Marathon, which she ran last April. Most recently, she won the 5k St. Patrick’s Day run in Edmonton on March 20. As part of her ongoing training, she intends on running a half marathon in Vancouver in May.
"Running is my drive, my therapy," said Ekstrom, "and I’m glad to finally have a cause to put it towards. It’s very exciting."
The time limit for the full marathon is 6.5 hours. Ekstrom’s personal marathon goal is three hours, 30 minutes. The technical merit of the Amsterdam Marathon course, coupled with the autumn weather, make the marathon a unique experience. It has a flat, fast course that brings together elite marathoners, including Olympic champions, in search of a new world record. It’s no surprise that people flock there to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Having the marathon start and finish lines inside Amsterdam’s 1928 Olympic Stadium further enhances this event.
Robert Cheboror of Kenya set a men’s track record at last year’s marathon, going the distance in 2.06.23. The Amsterdam Marathon 2004 also drew a record number of participants -- 16,000.
During the race, Ekstrom will see many facets of this remarkable city as she passes by the nature reserves on both sides of the Amstel River, the Maritime Museum, Chinatown, and the attractive Vondelpark. Amsterdam boasts a rich cultural heritage that combines the past, present, and future seamlessly.
As part of Team Diabetes, Ekstrom must raise a minimum of $1,100 by May 19, $2,400 by June 18, $3,700 by July 19, $5,000 by Aug.19, and $5,500 by Sept. 12. Kathy Pilon got Ekstrom off on the right foot by donating $1,000 last week.
In return for her fund-raising efforts, the Team Diabetes Canada program will provide her with race registration, accommodations, round-trip airfare, individualized online training through the Running Room, official team gear, and fund-raising materials and support.
Ekstrom is accepting donations at the Realty Executives office in Cold Lake South.
Bowling for OHDO Syndrome
Chris Miller
Tuesday October 24, 2006
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A percentage of every real estate deal by Realty Executives goes into a special fund, which is later distributed to worthy causes. One such cause is the Annika Farris fund. Annika and her mother, Nicole Farris, were pleased to receive $1,000 from Realty Executives. They challenge other local businesses to meet ot exceed their generous donation.
Chris Miller |
A little girl with an extremely rare medical condition is one step closer to having enough money to attend a conference in Europe.
Annika Farris, 4, has a genetic defect known as OHDO Syndrome that only 36 people worldwide have been diagnosed with. Itresults in various mental and physical developmental delays.
A conference for OHDO syndrome children and their families is being held Oct. 27 in Manchester, England. To offset the costs of attending the conference, a fundraising event was held Sunday at Marina Bowl. People bowled, with the proceeds going to help pay for their flight, which will cost close to $3,000.
Among the bowlers were six women from Realty Executives. Realtor Kathy Harrison explained that a percentage of every real estate deal goes into a special fund, and then they look for worthy causes such as this to donate to. Given the importance of kids, Harrison and her staff decided that donating to Annikka Farris was a good choice. Realty Executives donated $1,000 to the Farris family.
Realthy Executives will continue putting money into this fund for other worthy causes around the community.
Harrison and her staff are challenging other businesses to match or beat their contribution
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
