10 Healthy Ways to Give Back This Season
Santa Speedo Run photo by Jeremy Hetzel on Flickr/Creative Commons
If there’s any time to get in the philanthropic spirit, it’s the holidays. And if there’s any time to tighten up your health routine, it’s during the party- and food-filled winter season. Why not do both by taking part in these health-oriented Boston charity events?
1. Just Add Cooking
Meal delivery service Just Add Cooking will donate $1 to the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) for every healthy meal box sold between now and December 9. And while $1 may not seem like much, the organization says it’s enough to pay for three meals at GBFB.
2. The Family Dinner Project
The Family Dinner Project (FDP), a Cambridge organization dedicated to spreading the benefits of family meals, is partnering with military support group Blue Star Families. Until December 15, each time somebody downloads one of FDP’s special Dinner Tonight plans, a donation will be made to a military family.
3. Knockout CF
On December 10, The Club by George Foreman III will host Knockout CF, a fitness event benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Lifestyle Foundation. A $40 registration fee gets you a 60-minute class of your choosing (spinning, interval training, or boxing), a t-shirt, and post-class food.
7:30 p.m., December 10. 15 Channel Center St., Boston, cflf.org.
4. Ten for Toys
Donating a toy enters you into this 10-mile race hosted by Heartbreak Hill Running Company. All toys will be donated to Christmas in the City, an organization that delivers gifts to homeless children around Boston. If you’re feeling extra festive, race organizers encourage you to show up in costume.
9 a.m., December 12. Starts at Heartbreak Hill Running Company, 638 Commonwealth Ave., Newton, eventbrite.com.
5. Santa Speedo Run
Strip down to your finest Speedo for a fun run through the Back Bay. The run has a $30 registration fee and $400 fundraising minimum, both of which will benefit PlayBall Foundation of Boston, which supports sports programs at local schools.
10 a.m., December 12. Starts at Lir, 903 Boylston St., Boston, ssrunners.org.
6. Handle Bar Charity Ride
This philanthropic cycling class costs $30 and benefits the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, which will be running the 2016 Boston Marathon on behalf of the cancer hospital.
1 p.m., December 12. 1336 Boylston St., Boston, eventbrite.com.
7. Humane League Boston Gala
Snack on vegan treats at this fundraiser for the Humane League, a group dedicated to ending animal suffering. Tickets are $50, or $25 for students.
7 p.m., December 12. Karma Yoga Studio, 1120 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, thehumaneleague.com.
8. Jingle Ride
The 19th Annual Ciclismo Classico Jingle Ride takes bikers on a 20-mile jaunt from Arlington to Boston, stopping along the way to sing carols. A suggested $25 donation goes toward Horizons for Homeless Children.
10:30 a.m., December 13. Starts at Kickstand Cafe, 594 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, eventbrite.com.
9. Vinyasa, Vintage, and Vino
Treat yourself with a vinyasa yoga class, followed by wine and vintage shopping. Even better, the $20 registration fee goes toward Tedy’s Team, a Boston Marathon team running in support of the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association.
6 p.m., December 16. Galyean Vail, 369 Congress St., Boston, movewith.com.
10. Hope on Wheels
Doing holiday shopping at the Liberty Tree Mall? Stop by Hyundai Hope on Wheels‘ Giving Tree, which is decorated with ornaments labeled with the Christmas wishes of young patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Gifts will be accepted throughout the holiday season.
Did we miss any events? Let us know in the comments.
