Once upon a midnight dreary, a friend and I decided that with our fortieths upon the horizon it was finally time to impress some meaning on our existences. After several glasses of Woodford Reserve we decided this could be accomplished by running the 2009 New York City Marathon together. For charity.

The Hole in the Wall Camps allow children with debilitating illnesses and conditions — cancer, burns, spina bifida, you name it — to attend a summer camp and still receive the care and treatment their situations require. Campers swim, canoe, do arts and crafts, and all the other things kids are supposed to do in summertime. The camps are completely free of charge for the attendees and their families. Paul Newman co-founded the first camp in 1988 in Connecticut; today there are eleven camps across the US, Israel, and Europe.

Each of us has committed to raising $3,000 for the camps. I ask that you please consider giving, which you can do here. Keep in mind that almost all of this money goes into the camps; while they do guarantee an entry spot and give me a running shirt, I had to pay my own entry fee.

If you want to know more about how great the Hole in the Wall Camps are, watch this video. Good luck getting through it without bawling your eyes out. And thanks.