High Cloud Foundation - Because Dreams Come True

Please join us on March 7th at the Childrens Benefit Concert to help orphans throughout the world!

Join High Cloud, Team Snapple and Georgetown Running Company on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:00 PM for a Try the Tri Orientation Seminar

Are you new to triathlon or interested in trying your first race?  Join us for cold Snapple and a discussion with professional and elite triathletes from Team Snapple.  Experienced triathletes will be answer any questions you have about triathlon training, local races, equipment, techniques, or anything else that is keeping you from getting to the starting line.

Please RSVP for this event or ask for more information by sending an email to info@highcloud.org

The Try the Tri Orientation will be held at:

Georgetown Running Company
3401 M St., NW

See you there!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

High Cloud Foundation and Team Snapple are excited to support the 2010 REV 3 race series.

Washington, DC, January 25, 2010.  High Cloud and Team Snapple (www.snappletriteam.com) are excited to announce that they have partnered with the REVOLUTION 3 Triathlon (www.rev3tri.com) series, which High Cloud Athletes can participate in via the Try the Tri Program!!  High Cloud and Team Snapple’s athletes are excited to make Revolution 3 races an important part of their 2010 season.

“The REVOLUTION3 Triathlon race series was created to change the way athletes, family members, and spectators view and participate in triathlons of all distances. One of our immediate goals is to make triathlons a more interactive, enjoyable experience for spectators by providing fun activities for children and family members during the race. REVOLUTION3 Triathlon is about change! Change for the age grouper, change for the professional athlete, and change for the spectators.”

From the REV3 web site:

For 2010, the REV3 triathlon series is made up of 3 dynamic venues, each featuring 2 separate races of different distances; one of which will be the Feature Race of that location.  The series will begin in Knoxville Tennessee on May 9th, 2010.  In Knoxville, the Feature Race will be the Olympic Distance Rev with a $50,000 USD Pro Prize Purse.  The second multi race location will be in Middlebury, Connecticut, where the Feature Race will be the Half Distance Rev on Sunday June 6^th. This race will boast an enormous $150,000 USD Pro Prize Purse, making it the largest payday at the half distance in the sport of triathlon. The climax of the Revolution 3 triathlon series will be the September 12th event where REV3 will offer a tremendous family focused event at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky Ohio.  The Feature Race at Cedar Point will be the Full Distance Rev, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112 miles bicycle ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon run.  This race also boasts a large Pro Prize Purse of $100,000 USD.

In addition to the huge race day cash payouts both professional and age group athletes who compete in any of the “featured” series races will have the ability to earn points towards the series and will qualify for the cash prizes. Race series points will be awarded to athletes at each race based on their overall order of Finish (by time). The Pro overall prize purses male and female will be $15,000. There will also be a rare cash payday for the top 5 amateur athletes series points leaders, starting with a $4,000 for 1st overall.

Finally, there is a potential for a monster additional bonus payment of $125,000 for any Professional male or female that can win the Triple Crown by claiming victory at each event site’s Feature Race. Taking on this Triple Crown challenge and vying for the Feature Race series overall title will be celebrity athlete Tara Costa. Tara was a featured contestant on the hit reality show “The Biggest Loser.”  Tara has lost a whopping 155 pounds since joining the show in September 2008.

Please join the High Cloud Snapple Try the Tri - Triathlon Coaching Program to be a part of this great series! 

http://www.highcloud.org/trythetri

The High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon

“You can quit if you want, and no one will care. But you will know the rest of your life.” – John Collins (Founder of The Ironman) -- Never Quit

The day began with snowflakes falling and temperatures plummeting rapidly and our thoughts were filled with last minute logistical details as we drove up to the High Cloud Snapple start/finish location. The parking lot was full of hundreds of passionate athletes who had challenged the elements and themselves to attend the Inaugural High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon!  A dream that was conjured up between Adriana and Matt Anderson and Bart Forsyth over a dinner of pita bread and hummus at Bus Boys and Poets Restaurant only a month and a half earlier was now a reality.  Hundreds had joined together on one snowy morning and were going to run for something greater than anything they have ever done before – to help children the world over who had suffered immensely from the recent tragedy in Haiti, the intense drought of Kenya, as well as violence and poverty-stricken communities everywhere.  

To quote from an athlete after she had finished the High Cloud Snapple, ¨I LOVED the High Cloud Snapple Half.  I LOVE running in the cold and snow; in fact, I didn't think it was that cold...  I'll take it any day over running in July and August.  I didn't run my best time, but I wasn't running for time.  I was just trying to get in miles for my marathon training; and I got a medal and shirt out of the deal!...¨

The High Cloud Snapple Half was expertly staffed by an army of Cloud Catchers (volunteers) that were full of smiles and enthusiasm despite the freezing conditions!  We provided pop-up tents, blankets and hot drinks before and after the race as well as mountains of: Snapple, bagels, pizza, yogurt, candy, pretzels, chips, oranges and tons more goodies.  High Cloud Snapple also had a robust Medical Team led by Ironman Mark Zaragoza and his highly skilled Navy Medical Corpsmen and his quick response medical vehicle.  To add to the mix, we had a renowned Club DJ mixing music for the athletes throughout the race including a very solemn Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of the race. 

As Race Director Jay Wind started the race, the snowflakes started to fall even harder and it became noticeably colder but the athletes were oblivious as they were motivated to take on whatever Mother Nature would throw at them for the next 13.1 miles on the beautiful C&O Canal.  When the last athlete crossed the start line, the Cloud Catchers sprang into action reconfiguring the Start / Finish line tents to facilitate the removal of race chips and bibs, as well preparing tons of food and water for the runners return. 

Snow was falling so much at this time that our footsteps were immediately being filled with fresh snow and everyone was moving just for the sake of keeping warm.  Only 1 hour 15 minutes into the High Cloud Snapple Half, we heard shouts of encouragement from the finish line as we saw in the distance the first athlete as he sprinted the last few hundred meters to the finish line and accepted his finisher medal from Cloud Catcher, Bethany!  While he was drinking water afterwards walking off the run and telling us about the race, he still had blocks of ice in his eyelashes from the intense cold.  Runners continued to stream into the finisher chute full of excitement about the race and the extreme winter storm that they experienced for the next two hours, all the while being greeted by cheering (and frozen solid) Cloud Catchers!

On the same day of the High Cloud Snapple Half, High Cloud hosted a simultaneous 2K race for children and orphans in Colombia, South America representing the intrinsic relationship between the High Cloud Snapple runners and the children being supported by the race.  The runners of the Inaugural High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon, through their struggle against the winter storm, served as an inspiration and role models to children who live in extreme poverty to also challenge themselves to never quit in the face of hardships. The Inaugural High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon was a day that will live on in people’s memories forever...It was a day where they braved the snow and found a spark within themselves that refused to give in, to concede, to quit.  Everyone who stepped foot on the High Cloud Snapple course on January 30th 2010 understood in the core of their spirits what it meant to truly challenge themselves against intense hardships and to find success. 

Quotes from High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon athletes:

I LOVED the High Cloud Snapple Half.  I LOVE running in the cold and snow; in fact, I didn't think it was that cold I'll take it any day over running in July and August.  I didn't run my best time, but I wasn't running for time.  I was just trying to get in miles for my marathon training; and I got a medal and shirt out of the deal! 

Thank you so much and the wonderful volunteers for a truly challenging and rewarding morning.   The weather couldn't bring us down!  Thank you for the really great organization, the delicious food and the good people.  I will run this again next year, because I'm thinking, the weather can only get better! 

This was my first race of any sort since high school track/cross country (I'm 52 now).  I've been active in running much shorter distances for my years since H.S.  Yesterday's event was to me very well organized, staffed and administered.  Thank you very much for this experience.  I finished the race without walking and in the time I expected, even with the "extreme" conditions.  I had a great experience.  Keep it up!

Thanks for a wonderful run this morning. The event was well organized and in a beautiful location. I have never run at the C&O canal before, but I hope to go back again!  I won for my age group (50-59 Female)...I just really had fun running.

Please see the High Cloud Snapple Half Marathon page for more pictures and a wonderful video collage from this great event!  http://www.highcloud.org/cloudsnapple

Written by Megan Zingarelli

Matt Clark decided to work for charity when his pro-triathlete career took him to an impoverished region of China.  On one particular race, the biking route went straight through a shanty town.  While touring the course, he met the people who lived there, and he saw their mud houses and deplorable living conditions.

He also noticed that they were happy despite their poverty. This experience stirred his interest in working for a humanitarian cause.

"Meeting these people was the spark I needed I suppose," said Clark.


Find more photos like this on High Cloud Foundation


Not long after, Matt had become deeply involved in the High Cloud Foundation.  From his home in Australia, he met founders Adriana and Matt Anderson in 2008 when he saw an article about the foundation online.  Soon after learning about High Cloud's work, Clark became an ambassador for the organization.  He promoted humanitarian work even as he trained for and competed in triathlons around the world.

Read more about Matt Clark's career HERE.
 
But after just a year as a High Cloud ambassador, a stress fracture in his femur forced him to quit his fifteen-year racing career.  He moved from Australia to Edmonton, Canada with his girlfriend Mandi Wiersma.  He has turned to a new life of school and full-time work for High Cloud as a program coordinator.

The transition from racing ended one path, but it gave Clark a chance to pursue other adventures.  Clark says his goals include swimming the English Channel, kayaking a Class 5 rapid, and running ultra marathons.  

And one major goal--a backpacking trip through South America--he has just fulfilled.  Clark said that the racing career kept him traveling but constantly training.  He had not had a chance to enjoy a backpacking adventure or to do some local volunteering with High Cloud children.

Last summer, he and Mandi did just that.  They toured through Peru and Bolivia, and they stopped in Colombia to visit one of High Cloud's first missions, the school of El Limonar in Tolima.

Read more about El Limonar HERE.

While there, Matt and Mandi taught the children some English, and they played soccer with them too.  He said this expedition gave him a taste of what "real life" is about and made him look forward to his new role in High Cloud.

"It's a good reality check because people are going through their day-to-day lives, and stupid little things can affect you, which in the big scheme of things are nothing," he said.

High Cloud Foundation, Team Snapple and Georgetown Running Co. are proud to unveil the Try the Tri Program!!!

Try the Tri is designed to help novice triathletes prepare for their first race or improve upon that early success from Nation's Tri in 2009.  The program is coached by elite triathletes from Team Snapple (www.snappletriteam.com).

Members will train for either the Sprint- or Olympic-distance DC Triathlon on Sunday, June 20th, 2010 (www.dctri.com).

What do you get? High-caliber coaching and discount gear, all the great stuff that you'd expect from the stellar Georgetown Running Co., and an awesome training program led by Team Snapple's pro triathletes.

No more leafing through that convoluted Triathlete Training Bible you got from Barnes and Noble, no more 8-mile runs by yo' lonesome, and no more paying full price from *&#$@% Bike Shop in Bethesda for shoes and pedals!

Please check the High Cloud Try the Tri website for more information:  http://www.highcloud.org/trythetri

By Justin Warren
A High Cloud Ambassador bringing joy to children in Peru and India!

This past November, the High Cloud Foundation provided humanitarian support to several orphanages and schools just outside Kolkata, India.

Although our train was nearly ten hours late getting to the station, smiling members of the Society for Educational and Environmental Development (SEED) were there to welcome the five of us (Matt and Adriana Anderson, Adriana's mother Mimi, Lais Lacher, and myself) and take us to the orphanage.

As we arrived, more than thirty boys immediately attacked us with smiles and hugs as we piled out of the car. After spending time with the children, Alam (our main point of contact at the orphanage) showed us around the building. We were able to see that although the infrastructure was solid, there was a lack of furniture and equipment for the children. After several discussions with Alam, High Cloud is currently providing the orphanage with tables and sports equipment.

During our stay, we awoke at 6:00am to join the children for their daily routine of outdoor exercises followed by a meditation session. During the meditation, the kids would pause from their deep concentration, entertained by the foreigners doing their best to meditate with them.

Next, Adriana, Mimi, and Lais led the kids in a knowledge workshop, teaching English and Spanish words to the kids through the use of a catchy song. Though the kids spoke Bengali and only partially understood English, the fun style of the lesson brought everyone together and broke through the language barrier.

Matt and I worked with the boys in the afternoon, conducting workshops in nutrition, hygiene, and sports. As the kids sat attentively with their notebooks, we taught them the importance of washing their hands, recycling, and properly disposing of trash. The older students, who understood more English, translated to the younger kids, and everyone enthusiastically wrote down what they had learned. I taught them about different sports and athletes from around the world--they now know Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods--and they taught us about the famous cricketers of India. They said that in addition to soccer, they loved cycling, so I taught them about Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France.

The best part of our stay was being able to get outside and play soccer with the boys. Children everywhere love to play outside, and High Cloud is providing new sports equipment in order to continue the athletic education of the children in India.

Our trip was too short, but yet was very productive. Seeing first-hand the needs of the kids in India allows High Cloud to best utilize its volunteers and funds. High Cloud hopes to send more representatives this summer and extend the wonderful work being done for the amazing children we met.

On Saturday, High Cloud will host a simultaneous 2K race for children and orphans in Colombia, South America representing the intrinsic relationship between yourselves and the children being supported by the Cloud Snapple Half Marathon.   



"Unless you test yourself, you stagnate. Unless you try to go way beyond what you’ve been able to do before, you won’t develop and grow. When you go for it 100%, when you don’t have the fear of “what if I fail,” that’s when you learn. That’s when you’re really living." - Mark Allen

As you run on Saturday, know that you are serving as an inspiration to children who live in extreme poverty to also run and that they look up to you as their role models - challenge yourself to make a difference in the lives of others!

OUR CHILDREN IN HAITI NEED YOUR HELP AS THEY HAVE NEVER NEEDED IT BEFORE.

The Orphanage that High Cloud provides support to is composed of 11 orphans from the village of Cyvadier located just outside Jacmel, Haiti.  The boys stay in the Peter Yarrow Room, and the girls in the Doreen Nurse Room.  Fortunately the children are in good condition compared the remaining community however there is no electricity, no potable water and food is extremely scarce.  Medication is lacking and simple things like band aids are in short supply.

Tax-deductible gifts may be made at the following website:

To join a Team fundraising for Haiti:  click here

Or

http://www.highcloud.org/donate    (specify that you are donating for Haiti)

Or

http://www.firstgiving.com/highcloud

By Lisa Kilday of the Examiner

The first annual Cloud Snapple Half Marathon is scheduled for Saturday January 30, 2010 in Caderock, MD. Don’t sweat the hilly location, the race organizers promise a flat and fast course. The half marathon is an out and back course on the C&O Canal Trail (crushed rock/gravel).  The race will benefit the High Cloud Foundation and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Two DC Tri Club members founded the High Cloud Foundation to fight poverty through nutrition and sports amongst other international humanitarian projects. The cost for the half marathon is only $25 if you register by January 8th. I hope there is a lot of free Snapple at the race.

Read the entire edition of the Examiner here