Homeless Runners Empower Others As They Finish The Chicago Marathon After 26.2 Grueling Miles

Experience the life changing moments of three inspiring men who cross the finish line while they overcome homelessness

New York City, NY (prHWY.com) November 11, 2011 - MEDIA CONTACT:
Hannah Fernandez
Managing Director of Marketing
Skattered Moments
312-919-5007
hannah@skatteredmoments.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Experience the life changing moments of three inspiring men who cross the finish line while they overcome homelessness

Chicago, IL (November 2011)
- As we approach the holidays, it is important to reflect upon all of our blessings and celebrate human triumphs. Imagine uplifting your spirit and overcoming homelessness while accomplishing the daunting feat of running in the Chicago marathon? Amid the 45,000 runners and the 2 million spectators cheering them on, three homeless men, Anthony Johnson, Wahid Rashad, and Issac Denson, felt some of the most life-changing, exciting, and emotional victories as they triumphantly crossed the finish line and accomplished such challenges.

As Cara Jones, founder of Storytellers for Good shared, "There's no better place to see the human spirit determined and alive. Some tossed arms up in triumph, some fell into the arms of a loved one, and others enjoyed their own silent victory party. But, for me, nothing compared to meeting Anthony Johnson, Wahid Rashad and Issac Denson there. They're three men whose biggest challenges in life began long before these 26.2 miles."

Johnson, 42, slept on the streets and park benches for 13 years. Denson, 39, is a convicted felon who was sentenced at the age of 18 and stayed in prison for 20 years. Rashad, 63, was a mortgage broker who lost his job two years ago and went from making more than $80,000 a year to next to nothing. They are all homeless in transitional living right now, but hope to empower others through their personal experiences. Getting help from Back on My Feet, a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of the homeless through running as a means to build confidence, strength, and self-esteem as well as provides housing assistance, educational scholarships, and job training, they are changing their lives and touching those around them.

Johnson, who has logged over 600 miles before the marathon, earned the nickname "Running Man." He hopes to help other runners "put a pep in their step," and recently completed his certification as an unarmed security officer. Denson ran the Marathon because he wants to "show people that you can make a mistake in your life and still enjoy life doing the right thing!" Rashad is currently studying to renew his Mortgage Broker's license and applying for full-time employment.

"Cheering by the 100 meter line, I felt so inspired to see the runners overflow with such powerful will and conviction as they near the finish line, especially knowing that they each ran with a personal purpose while they overcame insurmountable obstacles," commented Skattered Moments co-founder Christopher Moffatt. Today's fast-paced, technologically-advanced, and complicated world is full of pressures, demands, and negative media. It is refreshing to shift our focus on the meaningful events and positive people in our community and enjoy such uplifting moments. So inspirational are the lives of these men that nonprofit Storytellers for Good and the local Chicago company Skattered Moments are raising funds to create a film sharing the journey of the runners before, during, and after the race. The pro bono promotional video will be an invaluable fundraising tool for Back on My Feet to share at events, on their website, YouTube and countless other social media channels online. For more on their stories and how they fared in the big race, stay tuned for the Back on My Feet film produced by Storytellers for Good next month!

[Note: If you are interested in getting an on-film credit for this film there is still time to donate - http://spot.us/pitches/959-a-film-to-help-homeless-runners-go-the-distance]

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About Skattered Moments

Skattered Moments (www.skatteredmoments.com) is a company that transforms simple photos into stunning wall art--creatively preserving precious memories and reminding others that any moment can be extraordinary! Through their photographic skattered wall art, cofounders Hannah Fernandez, Jasmine Fernandez, Amir Khalil, and Christopher Moffatt want to remind others to appreciate and savor life's treasured moments. They also strongly believe in giving back to the community.

Many times life offers such perfect serendipitous occurrences when we are open and ready. As Amir, Chris, Hannah, and Jasmine are in the process of deciding which nonprofit organization to donate, Hannah received a letter in May of 2010 from longtime friend and Storytellers for Good (www.storytellersforgood.com) founder Cara Jones asking for support. Hannah presented her business partners with the opportunity to give 10% of their sales for such an inspiring cause, and they all instantly agreed that they had found a perfect fit. With every Skattered Moments purchase, you will help them donate a part of their sales to Storytellers for Good, a nonprofit team of passionate journalists and photographers who seek to use their skills to inspire optimism and change as well as aim to tell and promote stories of people and organizations making a positive difference.

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