The Race is On! Celebs Sweat for Charity

By Kristen Seymour - October 14, 2008 Apparently, the hottest thing in Hollywood (you know, aside from having a baby) is completing an endurance race to raise money for charity. Back in 2003, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs completed the New York City Marathon, raising $2 million for NYC schools. Last year, Felicity Huffman and her hubby, William H. Macy raised money for an L.A. children's hospital by taking part in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, which is the same one Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey recently completed. Looking ahead, Ryan Reynolds is planning to take part in the NYC Marathon to raise money for Parkinson's Disease as part of Team (Michael J.) Fox. Reynolds' father has battled the disease for 15 years, which is the only reason the funny man is willing to risk bloody nipples. And he still doesn't sound quite sure about it, insisting that he's not actually a runner, but more of a running joke. There are tons of great ways to run (or bike, or swim) for charity. Often, you can find local events that benefit good causes, both local and otherwise -- next month, I'm planning to run in the Dog Days 5k in my home town to benefit the University of Florida Student Chapter of the Veterinary Medical Association and the Alliance for Rabies Control. Additionally, you might want to consider joining a charity group like Team in Training, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and helps you train for a marathon, half marathon, or triathlon, or Team Challenge, a similar organization that benefits the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Or, sign up for community events benefitting the Alzheimer's Association or Breast Cancer Awareness. Keep in mind, often the Team in Training and Team Challenge groups require you to raise a lot of money in order to be a part of the team, which, of course, is great -- just make sure you're not only up to the race challenge, but also the fundraising. While this is all fantastic, you also might want to consider the environmental impact of your race -- do you have to travel far, or is there a more local option? Are you buying all kinds of new running gear to get ready, or will some of your older clothes suffice (although, let me tell you from experience -- don't try to run a long distance in old shoes. Your knees and hips won't appreciate it one bit. But don't toss them -- donate them!)? As far as the event itself, there are a couple of ways to make it greener. Check with the race organizers and ask what steps they're taking to make the event as eco-friendly as possible, and if they haven't done anything, suggest they contact a group like Athletes for a Fit Planet or Council for Responsible Sport, both of which have lots of ways to help organizers and participants alike make their race footprint a little smaller. Kristen Seymour keeps us up on the green dish every other Tuesday.  She will provide the lowdown on green celebrities and other eco-friendly types right here at Tonic News.