56 Year-Old Grandmother Announces Attempt to Become First Woman to Complete the 4 Deserts(TM) in Under a Year
Linda Quirk of Run7on7.com Fame Continues Her Mission to Raise $1 Million Dollars for Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment and Recovery
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- After running a marathon on each of the seven continents in under a year by March of 2009, Linda Quirk of Run7on7.com fame is now announcing her next greatest endeavor: to attempt to become the first woman to complete the 4 Deserts - a grueling series of ultra-marathons - in under a year in 2010. This announcement is a continuation of her global efforts to raise funds and awareness for drug and alcohol addiction treatment and recovery, something she personally experienced after almost losing her stepdaughter to a gripping meth addiction.
"I see this next attempt as a way to raise global awareness for drug and alcohol addiction and recovery," says Linda Quirk. "After completing seven marathons on seven continents I've personally seen how the disease of addiction is without boundaries."
Linda's goal has always been to help raise $1 million dollars for Caron Treatment Center's addiction scholarship program that helps families in need gain access to treatment at Caron. To date, Run7on7.com has successfully raised close to $300,000. However, Linda's hopeful this next quest will get her closer to her million dollar goal.
"It's been difficult," says Linda Quirk. "At one end you have a 56 year-old body running all these extreme marathons in under a year, and at the other, a fundraising mission during an economic crisis. What keeps me going is I honestly believe we need to do more to highlight the positive affects of recovery and to encourage people to seek treatment."
Caron is a nonprofit addiction treatment center that helps those affected by alcohol and drugs and their families begin a new life. Linda's stepdaughter, Katherine, began her journey from methamphetamine addiction to recovery at Caron Renaissance in Florida, something Linda is forever grateful for. In fact, five members of Caron's staff ran with Linda during last year's seven on seven mission and now eight volunteer runners have joined to participate in the 4 Deserts (two of which reached out to Linda after hearing about her story in the news). Linda's excited to announce a new series of training videos that will showcase how she and her volunteer runners (who have each pledge to raise a minimum of $5,000 for the scholarship fund on their own) will be training for the ultra-marathons that await them in the months to come.
"We all are extremely touched and inspired by Linda's dedication to raise awareness about addiction and funds to support treatment for families," says Missy Orlando, Executive Vice President, of Communications and Marketing at Caron Treatment Centers. "Many families are already benefiting from her contributions to our scholarship fund. She's really helping to enlighten people everywhere that addiction is a disease and that there is hope for a successful recovery."
To help get the word out and to support her mission, Linda is continuing her partnership with BP Fuels and SkirtSports. Currently, Linda - a member of BP's "Team Invigorate" - is speaking on behalf of BP gasoline with Invigorate(R), a high quality fuel that helps cars run "younger for longer." Invigorate is a unique formula that helps clean and protect vital engine parts to help restore fuel economy lost to a dirty engine, so your car gets a few more miles per tank. For more information about BP gasoline with Invigorate and Team Invigorate, visit bpinvigorate.com.
To learn more about Linda Quirk's incredible story or to make a donation to her cause, log onto www.Run7on7.com.
