FROM THE PRESIDENT DAVE MAREK
H
ello runners,
I hope you have all had a great summer and are looking forward to leaves changing, cooler temps for running and all the fall races that are being readied to go. Perhaps it is just me but it has seemed difficult to avoid a lot of bad news the world offered up this summer but I really do try to focus on the positives. I believe there are far more good people in this world than it may seem at times. We saw an example firsthand in August at the MDRA 15K race. Marc Nosal is a member of MDRA and a regular volunteer at a lot of our races. Near the end of the race we had one runner out on the course who had asked if he was still headed the right way. Marc went out and ran with him for the last mile or so. Just an example of what I see a lot in the running community we are all a part of. A very kind act and one that did not go unnoticed. By the way that runner, Jerry Kozitza, will be 77 years old this September and has been a member of MDRA himself for 30 plus years. Great job, Jerry! It was also good to see a lot of MDRA members helping out at the 15K and I know I’m a broken record but if you are interested in volunteering at one of our races we would be happy to have you. As I write this we are once again on pace to increase registrants this year for the Jeff Winter City of Lakes Half Marathon and have strong numbers registered for the Victory 5K, 10K and kid’s run. Hopefully we will see you out there running the race or volunteering to assist those who are. Likewise, if you are interested in helping shape what the MDRA is and does or just wish to offer up your expertise in a different way, we are always looking for people to be on our board of directors. I know we will have at least one open seat up for grabs next year. Look for more information and the application in the magazine or online at our website and Facebook page. I want to tease something new we will be rolling out later this fall. We are going to be implementing a membership management software called “MemberClicks”. This software will be used for such things as: A complete membership database Registering as a member will be easier with automatic notifications when it is time to renew Class and event registration Social community for members only Exclusive members only features Streamlined accounting Much more to come so stay tuned but we are excited to bring some much needed technology like this to our great organization. I think you’ll find some things you’ll really like and we are looking forward to using this as a tool to bring our members even more value. We are also going to be interested in getting your feedback on what you may find useful going forward. You don’t have to wait either. Send me or the MDRA a message with any suggestions, ideas or questions you may have.
Thomas Lindsay of Minneapolis finished the mdra 15K in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 6 seconds. Photo courtesy of Wayne Kryduba
In fact, that sounds like a good idea to me. Send us a question and maybe we’ll get a few we can answer here next issue. Or better yet, to bring this full circle, send us a quick note about an act of kindness you’ve witnessed someone do. Choose to be the good in the world. Here’s to fantastic fall weather and meeting your goals whatever they may be. Happy running everyone!
Dave Marek President, MDRA Board of Directors
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
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