We (the Strealys) had foster children in our home from 2013-2017. It was an amazing season for our family– and included all the elements of parenting- beautiful and fun, while sometimes frustrating and challenging. Whether it was watching a little one walk for the first time, or teaching an older child to ride a bike, loving on these kids was all worth it.
While in foster care, children have visits with their parents at the Department of Human Services (DHS) one to three times a week. They are transported in government vehicles, sometimes an hour or more each way. We thought it would be great to have something for kids to do while riding in the cars, and to help with transitions to and from visits. We thought iPads might be a great way to accomplish this.
So we combined our love of kids and running into a fun family event: Micro Marathon was “born” in 2015 under the leadership of Alden Strealy as race director. Through funds raised from Micro Marathon in 2015 and 2016, we were able to donate 13 ipads and accessories for kids to use in transport cars.
Micro Marathon 2019
We took a couple of years off, and in 2018, Aidan Strealy (oldest of the Strealy kids, and a dedicated runner) decided to bring the Micro Marathon back. He took the mantle of race director and invited his cousin Ellie Dodson to join him as co-director. He wanted to focus on youth in foster care. We partnered with Parenting with Intent and were able to donate 60 large duffle bags and 60 soft blankets for youth in foster care.
Now we are back for a fourth year, excited to see what this New Year event brings!