My favorite candy as a kid was Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. In the traditional sugar-crazed post-Halloween horse trading of spoils, I’d flip whatever I could (except KitKat. I’m not a monster…) to get my hands on as many Reese’s as possible. I’ll get to why that’s important in a minute.
First, I’m very excited about our community partner this year – SOUNDS Academy of Phoenix. SOUNDS Academy is a non-profit music education organization that teaches, mentors, and provides musical experiences and opportunities for underserved youth. I’ve been so very privileged, with my own family, to witness the self-confidence boost, life lessons around hard work and perseverance, and sense of joy that a musical education can bring to a child. SOUNDS Academy’s mission is to bring these amazing experiences to all children no matter their background or where they come from. Please check them out if you haven’t done so already, these kids are really good!
The Alliance Fun Run/Walk is also mounting a comeback in 2021, albeit in a virtual format, marking the first time it’s been held since 2015 in Nashville. Making a virtual conference feel like a “real” event is a challenge. While we’ve done our best to take advantage of the virtual format and play to its strengths, not having the opportunity to get together will always be a drawback. We’ve tried to add as many networking opportunities and other fun stuff (stay tuned for lots of prizes, contests and giveaway info) to make the conference feel as much like an “event” as possible. It seemed natural to have a virtual run where you can compete or just get a workout with your colleagues from all over the world. If nothing else, we could probably all use an excuse to get a little bit more physical activity, right? Quarantine 15 anyone?
Americans of a certain age might remember the old commercials for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: “You got your chocolate in my peanut butter! You got peanut butter on my chocolate” Logic aside (who walks down the street eating a jar of peanut butter anyway?), it’s stuck in my head all these years, and let’s face it, putting chocolate and peanut butter together is kind of a no-brainer, right? Speaking of two great tastes that taste great together, this year I’m happy to announce that all net proceeds from the fun run will be donated directly to SOUNDS Academy. Can you think of a better way to help kids, support the arts and improve your “bottom line”? I can’t - it’s another no-brainer. So, I hope to see you out there virtually at the Alliance Virtual Fun Run/Walk. And I’ll need it too, as I’ve got a sudden hankering for a Reese’s…
Stay safe, be healthy and we will see you in March… virtually.