Today we have a guest post from Jacob Gries, a freelance writer and avid runner who is joining us for Level Up: Race for Humanity. Here's why he's taking part—and why you should too.
Hello everyone, my name is Jacob Gries and I’m a freelance writer, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, which is where I currently live. I wanted to take this space to tell you a bit about myself and why I was drawn to the Level Up: Race for Humanity 2020 and Play for Peace in general.
I’m a bit of an exercise nut, and recently, without access to gyms, I’ve increasingly resorted
to running, which I’ve found to be at times peaceful, strenuous, and freeing. I stumbled upon this race while doing some research online for volunteer work and thought helping out would be a
great way to connect to the running community. It was only after I latched on to the race that I
learned more about Play for Peace’s mission, which is incredibly admirable and something I
support wholeheartedly. I hope you’ll join me on this month-long journey!
We’re all experiencing one of the craziest, most turbulent years in recorded history, but as far as
silver linings go, we’re going through it together. While many of us around the world have been
restricted from engaging in meaningful human-to-human interaction over the last several months,
technological advances (thank you Zoom!) have allowed us to stay in touch with loved ones,
friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and others. Some have even used this time to re-engage with
people they may have lost touch with over the years, or those who live so far away that it would
be unrealistic to ever visit in person.
Fortunately, the Level Up: Race for Humanity 2020 is the perfect event for you to share with
friends from all over the globe. What was once an in-person race has been completely modified
and transformed into a virtual one, opening it up to a new group of potential participants—which
could include you!
While this race is promoting physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, it’s also instrumental in
furthering Play for Peace’s mission of building a better tomorrow all over the world. Play for Peace trains volunteers and prospective leaders to bridge the divide that exists between people
from different countries, cultures, and religious backgrounds through cooperative play, which helps
create inextricable bonds and friendships among those who, on the surface, may not have much
in common.
So, in reality, the Race for Humanity 2020 is about so much more than just compassion,
connection, and community, which are the core pillars of this year’s event. It’s about fostering
connections and creating a better world, where people from different places can come together to
achieve things that would’ve otherwise seemed unimaginable. We hope you’ll join us!
