48 For Change on making a difference one mile at a time
We catch up with the 48 For Change crew to find out how they’re supporting their community while doing what they love – running.
Now more than ever, the world needs people to take action. 48 For Change is a group of friends dedicated to doing exactly that.
Determined to be a catalyst for positivity, and firm in their belief that we’re stronger together, they inspire awareness and action around common social issues through running, while using their platform to promote healthy lifestyles and fight for equality.
With the global pandemic raging and increasing civil unrest around racial injustice, June 2020 was a time of great turbulence in the United States. It was also the time Justin Shields and Tyler Standley decided to take action and spark some positive change of their own.
As Tyler tells us, it all started with a phone call. “Justin called me on a Thursday afternoon asking if I wanted to join him in the 4x4x48 challenge (run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours). This was just after the death of George Floyd, so we decided to do it in solidarity with the protesters – #48FORFLOYD.”
Even though neither of them had any experience with fundraising, after many miles, the creation of a GoFundMe page, and plenty of donations from friends new and old, they’d managed to raise $60,000 for Campaign Zero.
“The world is constantly changing, new events and circumstances arise, and we want to inspire positive change in whatever way we can.” - Tyler
This success not only laid the foundations for 48 For Change, but also helped the two friends clarify just what it was that they wanted to achieve. “Our compass is aligned towards equal opportunity in education and promoting healthy, active lifestyles,” Tyler explains. “We believe education can be the equalizer to the systemic inequalities that exist in our society.”
But why choose running as the vehicle for this change? For Justin and Tyler, the connection is simple – everyone is a runner. As Justin says, “It doesn’t matter if you’re running 2:19 marathons or if you’re struggling to complete your first mile, you’re a runner. If you lace your shoes up, step outside, and make that effort to run, you’re a runner.”
Now, thanks to 48 For Change, runners have a voice and a platform to fight for what they think is right.
“We understand the importance of a strong mind/body connection. Running is the perfect tool to strengthen that connection. And it’s also a great way to build communities and bring people together.” - Tyler
Since that first challenge, the success and growth of 48 For Change has been incredible! Between all their events – 48 For Floyd, 48 For The Kids, and 25 Days of Change Toy Drive – they’ve had over 475 unique donors, and their internal team has grown from two to six.
They’ve also founded two run clubs – one in Venice and one in Denver. Both boast some seriously dedicated members, with Venice welcoming 30-40 runners regularly, while Denver averages 15-25 runners – in winter!
Things show no sign of slowing down for 48 For Change any time soon, and they’re currently in the middle of two events.
The first, 1000 miles for Operation Warm, will see their six core team members running a collective 1,000 miles over the course of January in order to provide warm coats for children in need. The second, 10k for $10k, involves their Denver Run Club leader, Mario, hosting a run in late January to raise money for Denver Public Schools Foundation’s Films for the Future program, which seeks to educate the local community on some of today’s most pressing issues.
“Continue to push for change. Continue to run.” - Justin
They’re not stopping there either. They want more people to join them, and are looking to expand their run clubs into additional cities.
Most importantly however, they are determined to continue to push for change.
If you’d like to support 48 For Change, participate in one of their events or donate, you can find all the information on their Instagram – @48forchange.
