In 2007 and 2008 I took part in the New York City marathon, and ran for charity, and this year's no exception. The charity I've decided to support this year was brought to my attention by Ruth Lauer-Manenti, the author of An Offering of Leaves, which Lantern published recently.

In the book, Ruth talks about her friend Shakunthala, a handicapped woman who was left at an orphanage by her family as a child and has dedicated herself to helping and teaching disabled and special needs children in Mysore in southern India. An Offering of Leaves tells several stories about Shakunthala's generosity in helping the poorest and most vulnerable, even though she herself is not wealthy and is something of an outcast herself.

Ruth often goes to Mysore to learn Sanskrit, and she was so inspired by Shakunthala that she set up the charity Friends of Mysore to help provide basic necessities for children and unfortunates in India. Any contribution you can make will go directly to buying pencils, paper, and generally improving children's lives in very practical ways. So far, I've raised over $1000, and any further money will go a long way in India.

While Friends of Mysore has been registered as a charity, it has not yet received its non-profit 501(3c) status, and therefore your gift is not tax-deductible. Nor is it possible to make a donation by credit card directly. However, you can give money via Paypal here through a sister charity, the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Charitable Trust. And you can either buy a copy of An Offering of Leaves, part of which purchase goes to Friends of Mysore, or you can send a check (made out to "Friends of Mysore Children, Inc.") to the following address:

Ruth Lauer-Manenti
470 Stony Brook Road
Palenville, New York 12463

As for the marathon: You can read more about it here, and if you're in New York on November 1 and interested in coming out to wave me (and 40,000) other runners on in what will be the fortieth anniversary of the very first New York City marathon, then write in the comments below (or drop me a line at martin [@] at lanternbooks [.] dot com, and I'll give you details of where I'll be and when!