A Halifax man is going the distance to raise money for children and youth-based charities.
Ryan Keeping, 25, began jogging around 7 a.m. Saturday, with a goal of hitting 100 kilometres.
With Christmas just weeks away, the ultra-marathoner decided to fundraise online to make a difference this holiday season.
Keeping has already surpassed his goal of $1,500 for Phoenix Youth Programs. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, his GoFundMe campaign sits at $3,895. The extra funds will be split between Family SOS and Ronald McDonald House.
As part of the fundraiser, Keeping is auctioning off patches on the Santa suit, allowing businesses to showcase their logos and individuals to leave a message of encouragement.
Over the past month, Keeping has used social media to garner support for the event and the different organizations it supports.
Keeping was joined Saturday by family, friends and community members to cheer him on.
“I love trying to motivate and inspire people, and I’m always passionate about trying to help out the next generation,” said Keeping. “So I thought, what better way to team up with some charities and help with some kids and youth that could really deserve it this time of year.”
Keeping ran alongside his 11-year-old nephew Spencer for the last 30 kilometres.
“Since it’s for charity, it makes it 10 times better,” said Spencer.
Keeping was expected to finish his run around 7 p.m.
While it’s the first year he has organized a fundraiser like this, he hopes his holiday run will become a new Christmas tradition.
