We discovered YARunsA5K on tumblr… running + reading? Sounds like perfection to us! We’re so glad they were able to drop by to do a guest post and tell us all about what they do!
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First off: thank you so much for letting me drop by Geek Girls Run! I am a new/aspiring runner and a lifelong fangirl/geek, so the whole concept of this blog totally appeals to me. 
So what is #YARunsA5K? It’s an effort to promote reading, to provide books for kids in low income families, and to get healthier while doing so. Melody Simpson (blogger on Hollywood the Write Way) and I (Susan Dennard, author) have decided to raise money for First Book and run with a team of authors, agents, bloggers, and readers in the Color Run 5K. The race is happening in Philadelphia on 7/19, and our goal is to raise $2000 by then. We’re actually almost there already (YAY!!!).
First Book is an organization that provides access to new books for children in need. To date, First Book has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada, and we at the#YARunsA5K really wanted to be a part of that!
And guess what! You can be a part of it too! If you’re in Philadelphia, you can run with us! The team is Misfits (Simpson), and if you DO register, be sure to let us know here. You get a Team Misfits t-shirt, and what better way is there to combine geekery and running?
In addition to a physical 5K meet-up for the Color Run, we’re also hosting a Virtual Run! Virtual runners will get a virtual bib (that you can tweet, Facebook, Pin, whatever!) and can share their running progress with the #YARunsA5K hashtag! Learn more about the Virtual Run here.
To donate to our First Book fundraiser, click here. If you donate $39 or less, you can enter a giant raffle! See the raffle prizes here!
If you donate $40 or more, you automatically get a free book! (Yep, you read that right!) Once you’ve donated, scan the list of available titles and choose what you want. Then fill out this form or email us (yarunsa5k@gmail.com) to select your book. By donating financially to First Book, you can help us reach hundreds of children without access to books!
We’re also auctioning off books and critiques. Half of each auction’s raised funds will go into funding our team t-shirts (until we cover that cost, of course!), and all extra proceeds will go to First Book. 
All of the auctions are STILL running, and there are loads of signed books and critiques to be won.
Additionally, if you can’t donate financially (we TOTALLY understand), you can donate books, ARCs, or critiques! By donating physical items to our fundraiser, you can help us increase our donations! Any extra books we have left over will be donated to the Free Library of Philadelphia. 
So let’s do it, Geek Girls!! Let’s come together and RUN for healthiness, fun, and books! You can help us spread the word using the #YARunsA5K hashtag and the link http://yarunsa5k.tumblr.com/!! Thank you SOOOOO MUCH!
