FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
71-Year-Old Best Friends Animal Society CEO to
Run 170 Miles to Save Millions of Shelter Pets
KANAB, Utah - Surrounded by the red rock majesty of Southern Utah, with
Shadow his German Shepherd by his side, Gregory Castle, CEO of Best Friends
Animal Society, is getting ready for the race of his life.
As his feet pound the ground during a morning training run, Castle isn't
just thinking of the 170 miles he will have to endure in the grueling Grand
to Grand Ultra Marathon on September 27, the first and only self-supported
stage foot race in the country. He's reflecting on the millions of dogs and
cats that will die in America's shelters this year.
For Castle, an avid runner who has completed 17 marathons since 1999
(including three Boston Marathons), running one of the largest animal
welfare organizations in the country has a similar theme to his passion for
running.
"I knew from the start of Best Friends 30 years ago that achieving a
No-Kill society was a long distance undertaking," Castle said. "The
challenge that Best Friends faces to Save Them All is just like a marathon.
It takes the same kind of meticulous planning and hard work to pull off."
Going the distance is nothing new for Castle. It took him two years to
qualify for his first Boston Marathon, which he ran in 2004, 2006 and 2009.
(Castle's marathon PR is 3:58).
When Castle crossed the Boston Marathon finish line for the first time, he
likened it to the progress Utah was experiencing as Best Friends worked
towards achieving the No-Kill Goal in its home state. "I burst into tears.
It was very meaningful," Castle said. (Utah is currently at an 80.3% Save
Rate - 91.3% for dogs and 63.3% for cats. 90% is the recognized benchmark
for No-Kill status.)
With all his marathon experience, the Grand to Grand Ultra is still a first
for Castle; the race requires running with a 20 pound pack carrying a tent,
sleeping bag, clothes and food, something he's never done before, over the
course of six days. And that's not all.
"I'm used to running on roads, but the Grand to Grand covers all terrain,
including sand. I'm excited but nervous, too. It's kind of crazy.
Personally, I don't think I've ever faced a bigger physical challenge,"
Castle said. "I don't think I would've done this without the fundraising
aspect."
Castle has set a personal fundraising goal of $170,000 to benefit Best
Friends, of which more than $70,000 has been met as of June. "I'm very
pleased with the amount of attention this has been getting. Over 1,000
people have donated so far," Castle said.
In addition to funds, raising awareness for the 9,000 dogs and cats killed
every day in U.S. shelters is crucial to Castle. Best Friends' Save Them
All call to action has 30 ways for pet lovers to help homeless dogs and
cats in their community, including adoption, spaying and neutering of
current pets, volunteering and networking pets in need via social media.
"If people can come into an arena of inspiration by someone doing something
as extreme as this,I've certainly achieved my aim," Castle said.
About Best Friends Animal Society®
Best Friends Animal Society is a national animal welfare organization
focused on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. An
authority and leader in the no-kill movement, Best Friends runs the
nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as
lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across
the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the
number of animals killed in shelters nationwide from 17 million per year to
about 4 million. Best Friends has the knowledge, technical expertise and
on-the-ground network to end the killing and Save Them All®.
To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to:
http://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety
Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends
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