Giving back is important to us. It's always been at the root of our core mission: To make people healthier, and to change 100 million lives. In years past, we partnered with two remarkable charities, the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society, to further that mission. Throughout the year, we encouraged members of our community to fundraise for these charities when they race. As we expected, the response was absolutely tremendous. 

We received over 1,000 donations from our outstanding Spartan community, and our fundraisers have been gracious enough to share their inspirational, heartwarming stories with us.

These are the inspiring stories of three of our most dedicated fundraisers, plus why they race, why they give back, and why they're so committed to making the world a better place.

Meet Our Incredible Fundraisers

1. Jessica Lee

Amount Raised: $700

Charity: American Red Cross

Jessica's husband serves in the United States Navy, and she's always been in awe of how much the American Red Cross does to support the troops and their families. Jess' affection for the charity runs especially deep, as her grandparents have been American Red Cross volunteers for more than three decades. Jess' grandma was on the front lines of Hurricane Katrina, among many other devastating natural disasters. 

"I wanted to do my part in raising money for a great organization," Lee says, "and run a Spartan race to show my support and appreciation for the organization and all the volunteers.” 

2. Megan Byler

Amount Raised: $790

Charity: American Red Cross

Megan Byler's commitment to the American Red Cross isn't new. She's been donating to the charity for more than 15 years. After she set her $700 goal and committed to a race, Megan began sending personalized, genuine messages to friends and family, stressing the importance of the work that the American Red Cross does to save lives. Unsurprisingly, Megan's words had a strong effect on those close to her, and the donations began to pour in.

"My body is healthy," she says, "and as long as it is, I want to do my part in creating opportunities for others to fight their best fight! Raising money for the American Red Cross allows them to further their mission and continue their great work!"

3. Tim Day

Amount Raised: $1,260

Charity: American Cancer Society

In July 2022, Tim did a push-up challenge to raise money for Mission 22, a nonprofit organization that provides extensive support and resources to veterans and their families. As part of the challenge, Tim completed 2,200 push-ups, which not only helped raise money for a great cause, but it also convinced Tim that it was time to get in shape. When Tim saw a social media post about an upcoming Spartan race, he was intrigued to challenge himself. And when he found out that he could fundraise for a great cause in the process, that sealed the deal. He picked his date and got to work.

"The American Cancer Society is a great organization helping so many people," Tim says. "Everyone has been impacted by cancer, whether you have had cancer yourself or have friends and family that have suffered from it. I am happy to do everything I can to help another great cause. The best part is that I work for Sawyer Chevrolet as a salesman, and they matched my donations.”