North American Marathon Finale Hits Victoria

VICTORIA – Running just one marathon is daunting for most people, but Matt Hill and Stephanie Tait of BC have run a marathon almost every day since May 2008 in their Run for One Planet across North America.

They will arrive in Victoria on Saturday, April 25th, the last stop in their incredible journey in which they logged close to an astonishing 11,000 miles. They ran from Vancouver to Newfoundland, then down the east coast of the US, through the southern US and back up the west coast to Vancouver, BC. Run for One Planet culminates in a community celebration at Planet Organic Market in Victoria on Sunday, April 26th, one of Matt and Stephanie’s major sponsors, and the last stop on their marathon tour. While in Victoria, they will participate in yet another marathon – the Times-Colonist 10K – and give a presentation on their North American journey at 3 p.m. at the Planet Organic Market at Quadra/McKenzie.

“As soon as I heard about Matt and Stephanie and their commitment and passion to help the planet, I knew I had to support them,” said Diane Shaskin, Planet Organic Markets Co-Founder. “We came on board in February 2008 to help nourish Matt and Stephanie as they ran their way across Canada. We gave them gift certificates to stock up at every Planet Organic Market along the way.”

Their eco-friendly RV stopped at every store and the intrepid runners sharedtheir stories with local customers at each stop.

“Early on, I asked them what they thought their chances were to make it. They said, 'failure is not an option' and they were right,” Diane Shaskin said. “What they have accomplished is so inspiring.”

Run for One Planet’s goal was to inspire one million acts of environmental awareness, and as Matt and Stephanie ran through hundreds of communities, they raised money for their Legacy Foundation and awareness amongst the people they met.

“We are so looking forward to our final event in Victoria,” Stephanie Tait said. “It will bring back some really fond memories we had with Planet Organic Markets across Canada. Thank you for supporting us as much as you have.”

Matt and Stephanie challenge everyone to think before they act. They encourage people to do simple things in their everyday lives that can help the environment: eat local and organic; turn off your car; eliminate plastic bags; use green cleansers; turn of the lights; turn off the taps; reduce, reuse and recycle; compost; bring your own bottle and teach your children to be environmentally aware.

“These are things that most people know, but it’s good to encourage everyone to take that extra step,” Diane Shaskin said. “Maybe you have already decided to use some green products at home. You can go a bit further by switching to all green cleansers. All these steps add up.”

Matt and Stephanie will use the funds raised to continue their work on environmental action with children. More information is on their web site at www.runforoneplanet.com.

Earlier this year, Corporate Knights magazine ranked Planet Organic Markets number one in Canada in its Green Grocer survey. Planet Organic achieved an overall “A” grade and outranked all national grocery chains for their excellent track record in stocking a wide variety of organic, fair-trade, and environmentally friendly products, as well as integrating consumer education and sustainability into its operations.