Landon Bright's write up of RFH

James McLaughlin was sitting on his couch at his Point Loma apartment with only a few weeks left until he graduated.
Like other soon-to-be graduates in his situation, he was pondering and reminiscing about his college days, his past, and his future. He had only one more race before his college running days would be over too. Spending four years on the cross-country and track and field teams at Point Loma Nazarene University had led him to fall in love with the sport of running. He had only briefly explored running in high school, having participated at the high school level for only one year before heading off to college. The transition to collegiate running his freshman year was tough, and McLaughlin often found himself questioning why he was sticking with it. Four years later he would be asking himself a similar question, while talking to his roommate Leo Zamudio.
“I was just talking about how I was done running. I wanted to continue, I wanted to run a marathon, but I was like ‘what did it mean?’ It’s more than just to run; it’s running for something, yourself or people who support you. I wanted to carry on for a purpose,” said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin and Zamudio would brainstorm the rest of the night and come up with the idea to start a post-collegiate running team that would support and spread awareness about causes they felt strongly about. Buying a domain name and coming up with a short-term plan resulted in Running for Help. It started with the basic idea of participating in local road races and running events to help spread information about a couple of other non-profit groups. Running for Help started with small initiatives, like wearing team jerseys and talking to people about what their organization supported.
“Sometimes you have to come up with your own purpose. I felt it was morally irresponsible to not do what you can, even if it’s just the little things, like wearing a jersey,” said McLaughlin.
Although Running for Help is only in its beginning stages of development and planning, the organization has already seen how small actions make a difference. One of the organizations they support is Luv Em Up, a group based in Lakeside, California. Luv Em Up is a ministry that works with people with special needs by providing opportunities to go on trips and attend Bible studies. Zamudio discovered Luv Em Up while attending a non-profit fair. He then attended the Church in Lakeside where the services are focused on people with both mental and physical needs.
“I just saw the need there,” said Zamudio. “I ended up referring others to the Luv Em Up church that I had worked with before; it’s just a great organization.”
Through his work at a dental supply company, McLaughlin was able to donate 67 computers to the organization, which are now being put to good use.
“They’re actually using the computers to set up a learning center. It’s cool to see that kind of result,” McLaughlin said. “That’s what I want to see more of.”
There are four organizations that Running for Help supports: Kiva, Love 146, Hannah’s House, and Luv Em Up. McLaughlin says that they are trying to focus more on the smaller, local non-profit groups like Luv Em Up and Hannah’s House.
“For a smaller non-profit, so much of what they receive goes back towards trying to raise money, the cash flows through. I want to be able to fill that void and make a difference for some of these organizations. People have no idea about some of the needs just here in San Diego, and we want to create public awareness,” said McLaughlin.
Both McLaughlin and Zamudio have big plans for growth and changes for the future of the organization. Both say its tough running a non-profit with jobs and school. McLaughlin works full-time and is looking into starting graduate school to continue his business education, and Zamudio is currently credentialing at UC Davis. Both say it enables them to appreciate how hard it is to run a non-profit and how much of a need there really is.
“It just comes down to people being able to do what they can. The more people you expose to needs, the more people they expose and so on,” said Zamudio. “I really felt if you have a passion should use that passion to help others that what we’re trying to do with our passion for running.”
McLaughlin is quick to say that their organization is far from unique. This kind of model of using sports and training to raise money for foundations is far from new, such as the popular Team in Training which raises money for Leukemia and Lymphoma research. But McLaughlin wants to distance himself from the stereotypical non-profit training groups.
“I’d like to see it (Running for Help) as more of a running club that supports other organizations. We want to be more focused on racing and training and see how we can help others by doing that.”
Doing this will require more corporate support for Running for Help. They are already an official U.S. Track and Field club, but still need to get the attention of more local businesses.
“Once we have more awareness about our group, we can get corporate sponsors. Times are tough but I think there is a market. People are always willing to help,” said McLaughlin.
The group has been spending time recruiting Point Loma alumni and friends to become advocates and tell others about Running for Help. They plan to run at least three to four races a year, and hopefully have booths set up at others. Zamudio and McLaughlin both say that it is a struggle to vie for people’s attention, but they enjoy the challenge.
“It’s fun as well, growing an organization. The idea is that we have been given something, it is not too much to give back,” said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin is coming off an injury, and has not been able to train to the extent that he would have liked, but hopes to be able to run a fast marathon in the future. Zamudio has not decided on any exact running goals, but expressed where he would like to see Running for Help in a couple of years.
“London 2012,” he said laughing.
Even though the option of running in the Olympics is non-existent for McLaughlin and Zamudio, both have been able to turn their passion into something that is worth running for.