Last year, all I heard was, "Sissman, you're such a slacker. Just one half-marathon?" So due to popular demand, I'm going back to the full-marathon this year. And in honor of how I'm splitting my time this year, I will be running the Naples Half Marathon on January 17 and the Miami Marathon on January 31.

[Update: I completed the Naples half in a personal best time of 1:37:10.  On to Miami!]

For the fourth straight year, I have committed to raise money for a great cause: Take Stock in Children. Take Stock is a Florida-wide non-profit organization that provides a mentoring program and scholarships for low-income children. Take Stock helps break the cycle of poverty by helping needy children reach their full potential.

Since its inception in 1995, Take Stock in Children has:

• Helped over 7,500 students graduate from high school with $109 million in college scholarships
• Graduated 92% of its students (vs. Florida average of 59%)
• Received national recognition by being awarded the Excellence in Mentoring Award for Program Leadership from MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership.

For more information, go to www.takestockinchildren.org. If you're

interested in becoming a mentor, please let me know.

Your donation will go to either the Miami-Dade or Collier County program, which serve 424 and 107 students, respectively. Your tax-deductible contribution will support the scholarship programs, mentor recruitment initiatives, and operations that coordinate all Take Stock's activities in Miami-Dade and Collier Counties.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to my fundraising efforts (though if you want to donate another way, let me know). Many thanks for your support -- and please forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!