The Project

The race in the desert serves as a real life metaphor for the clients of NABS (National Advertising Benevolent Society) and many charities that serve the challenged. It can be a painful, lonely, and unrelenting journey. It is also the most complex physical challenge any of us have ever undertaken. Each runner will require a personalized plan and the will to execute it, which may include making significant sacrifices and choices along the way. Some good fortune will no doubt be required, too!

The event is an opportunity for each of us to learn from the experience and to have a personal breakthrough while making a difference for our community.

We all face adversity. In my case, in late 2008, I was heading into the toughest business year of my 20 year career, when I decided to start running. First, it was to get fitter, increase my stamina, and create the clarity to handle the business reality. Then I started to run more. And then a lot more. In a fundraising effort, I continued to run to have an impact on some of the 250,000 individuals who have lost their jobs since October 2008. In 2009, I competed solo, in the 250km Gobi Desert Race, and then as part of a team in the Atacama Crossing, in the Chilean Desert. I used these races as a vehicle to help professionals who drive the economy, a peer to a peer outreach. I was blessed to have the unexpected outcome of not only finishing each race, but winning both my age group in the Gobi and the team event in the Atacama.

The races had a transformative impact on my life and I started presenting the story of my journey and the lessons I had learned along the way. While on the speaking circuit, I extended the challenge to others and now I have the opportunity to run alongside 10 industry colleagues who responded enthusiastically, intrigued by the project.

Looking for talent and helping individuals in transition are part of my everyday role. I am passionate about both and think we can do more. We invite you to raise money for an organization, helping the unemployed while offering YOU the chance to personally impact someone you know in career transition, helping them to move on with their life.

Our Plan

  1. My running colleagues and I take on a daunting challenge.
  2. You support with a pledge.
  3. We collectively help to support individuals while they overcome the challenges in our industry through NABS.

The Challenge

We have taken on the most complex challenge we could find, to first raise an eyebrow, and secondly, raise support.

We are running the 250km Sahara Race, starting October 2, 2011. Seven days of navigating a challenging course in the desert culminating at the great pyramids of Giza. It is part of the Four Desert Series, which includes the Atacama, Gobi, and Antarctica (ranked 2nd most challenging athletic event in the world by Time Magazine).

We will run 6 marathons in 5 days, in 40-degree heat, with 25 pounds on our backs including our food, clothes and gear. 200 international competitors are expected. Fewer will finish.

The Pledge for NABS

We decided to focus our efforts on a specific segment of industry professionals that is hit incredibly hard. The National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS) provides personal, financial and career assistance to communications industry professionals and their families. Too frequently, when the economy shrinks, this industry is the first one affected. It is no surprise that the NABS caseload has grown in recent years. It is expected that demands will peak in 2011, thus requiring the most funding since their inception in 1983. NABS will provide a full tax receipt for donations over $50. (A few other charitable organizations will also be assisted by some of the runners who have more than one commitment to help.)

The Benefits

In return, you can multiply the impact of your pledge. For all pledges at or above $100, NEXCareer, a leading Toronto based career transition firm will offer Career Transition Services vouchers. You may gift the services to a family member, a friend, or someone downsized recently who either wasn't offered career transition help, or whose outplacement coverage has lapsed. If you have no need for the services, we will offer them on your behalf to individuals who can't afford it, designating you as the donor. We hope to deliver 500 workshops to help people looking for work by supporting their job search strategies and tactics.

Click here for more information.

November NEX Calendar
October NEX Calendar

If you would like to pledge, just reply to any one of us or visit our runners via the pledge button. All donors will be acknowledged on the site. Separately, if you know someone who is thinking about getting fitter, this may inspire them to start running too.

Thanks for taking a couple of minutes to read this. Please join us in helping, through NABS. You'll be with us on the Sahara!

Very sincerely,

Stefan Danis

CEO