THINKING ABOUT WAYS I CAN SPREAD THE WORD AND MAKE THE GREATEST IMPACT FUELS ME LIKE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE.

mother called to inform her of this tragic situation she couldn’t stop the tears and to this day the tears come easy whenever Cassidy’s name comes up in conversation.

Fast forward to the present time. When Klubben decided to run the Boston Marathon she kept the news to herself until she fully embraced the rigorous training regiment required of all marathoners. When she finally shared the news of the upcoming competition with family, friends and coworkers she was well on the path of preparation. Ever mindful of charitable causes, Klubben’s boss, VISIONBank President Dan Carey, stopped in Klubben’s office one day and asked her what charity or cause she wanted to support. Without hesitation, she replied “suicide prevention and education.” The tears started flowing and Klubben shared Cassidy’s story. She had thought of how great it would be to dedicate this run to Cassidy’s memory but had no idea how to go about bringing attention to the why and how of a potential fundraiser. What she did know was that her inspiration for training was her thoughts of Cassidy. Running 10 - 20 miles in a single training session gives Klubben plenty of time for thinking. “Since we came up with the idea, Cassidy really has been my greatest inspiration for training. The fact that I will be talking about her and this great cause has made me want to train more intensely,” Klubben said. She continued, “thinking about ways I can spread the word and make the greatest impact fuels me like you wouldn’t believe.” Klubben’s sincere hope is that she can raise the awareness of Cassidy’s struggle and help others deal with challenges. “If we can influence one person to make the decision to ask for help rather than to take their own life, then it will be worth the effort,” a sentiment Klubben shares with Cassidy’s mother, Amy.

As a result of sharing her goal of dedicating this race to Cassidy with Dan Carey, who also happens to be the chairman of Impact Foundation, he aligned her with the team at Impact to launch the effort. Pat Traynor, executive director of Impact Foundation, and Scott Holdman, director of operational excellence, along with Carey, met with Klubben to outline the fundraising effort and bring a heartfelt idea to realization. With Impact Foundation’s assistance, Klubben is able to utilize their online giving site and resources. Impact Foundation helps people and charities become exceptional fundraisers.

The funds raised from this effort will be donated to suicide education and prevention along with mental health programs. “What I learned from Cassidy’s situation is that no matter how happy or put together someone seems, we all have our internal struggles. How we are equipped to deal with those struggles can make all the difference.” Klubben intends to direct money raised to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and other local charities.

Klubben believes that “running with purpose” has many applications beyond running. “The Fargo Marathon had over 24,000 participants in 2014 and if everyone had a purpose for their run and voiced it, just think how awesome the impact of this event becomes.” No surprise that Klubben’s choice for a Facebook page was Running With Purpose Fargo. Klubben is hoping that the theme of 26.2 miles in the marathon can also serve as the funding goal per individual whether it is $.26, $2.62, $26.20, etc. Interested parties can go to the Facebook page or runningwithpurposefargo.org for more information and to learn how to donate to the cause.

Klubben is undecided about running the Fargo Marathon this year since the Boston Marathon is a short three weeks before the Fargo event. Ever the competitor, Klubben is reserving that decision until she has completed Boston and wants to assess her physical condition following the Boston race.