10 reasons fundraising promotes physical and mental health benefits

We are all connected and together we can achieve

Kindness and volunteering are work worth considering for so many reasons! Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend has a deep connection to local charities. Last year, teams raised over $1,000,000 for over 50 registered charities. 

If you haven’t captained a team or registered for a charity we invite you to consider the following: there are both physical and mental benefits to giving of time and resources.

Here’s WHY you should register to fundraise for a charity:

  1. Achieving goals feels great! Add a fundraising goal to your personal running goals. By adding another layer to your endurance event you are setting more personal bests—double the dopamine!
  2. Gives you a reason to connect. Your network and communities will be touched by your efforts. When you share your goals and progress you can socially engage with folks you may not see often in a new way, reducing isolation for everyone.
  3. You have heard of the “runners high”, maybe you felt it today?! Did you know about the “helpers high”? IT IS REAL. While raising funds, engaged areas of the brain link with multiple pleasure centres.
  4. Volunteering to raise money for a charity could help you live longer! Biochemical analysis revealed that the “helpers high” is accompanied by positive changes in the body’s immune function and a lower level of stress hormones.
  5. Say thanks! Do you see a charity on the list for which you are deeply grateful for? Do you see one who moves you through their mission? Boosting their messages and connecting new people with the issues is a wonderful way to show your appreciation for their work.
  6. Be the change you wish to see. Your actions create ripples of positive action, by modeling positive community connections, you inspire others to take similar actions or create positive ripples in their own ways. 
  7. If not you, who? Charity relies on the generosity of those more fortunate to donate time and resources. By raising funds and awareness you are providing support the organization relies on. 
  8. Payback or pay-forward your good fortune. Health and well-being are the results of a lot of positive conditions which you may enjoy. As you know, charities are there for people when they need them most. You can share your good fortune with a charity that helps people who are not as fortunate or who have experienced hardships you have not. 
  9. Find meaning. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ∼ Winston Churchill
  10. Fight isolation or winter blues. Shift the focus to the needs of others and you may benefit from an increased sense of well-being. Research shows that “engaging in compassionate acts can have long-lasting protective effects against depression”.

On that note, have you registered for the Desjardins Charity Challenge yet

Register. Recruit a team. Choose a charity. Download the fundraising guide. Get GOING!