Most people stop running when they experience knee problems. No so for Aaron Brouwer. His knee problems prompted him to take up running and now he is participating in the David Goggins 4X4X48 running challenge, which is to run four miles every four hours over a 48-hour period. And he’s doing that to help four local families.
“I’ve created a fundraiser to give back to the community of Prince George,” he said.
Brouwer started running about two years ago because he was having a lot of knee pain.
“I’ve had seven knee surgeries, three with Dr. Costa, and they were able to help me get my knees back to where they are now,” he said. “… It’s something I wanted to try because I was having daily pains. I started running and my daily aches and pains went away and my swelling went away … Now I don’t have any pain and I love the challenge that it is giving me.”
That challenge involved doing some long distance running.
“I’m a competitive guy and I wanted to push myself and see just how much I could do running, so I challenged myself to do a half marathon.”
He was scheduled to run a half-marathon in Rotterdam this year, but with travel restrictions that fell through. He saw the 4X4X48 challenge and felt it would be a good challenge.
The four miles every four hours works out to 48 miles or 72 kilometres. He has a few routes through the city.
But that wasn’t enough for Brouwer, who has been a City of Prince George firefighter since 2007 and coaches the UNBC men’s basketball team.
“I wanted to give back to my community during this time and try and create some positive stuff in the community,” he said.
The 4X4X48 challenge was a great opportunity to give back. He wants to raise $100 per mile for a total of $4,800 and to find four families that would benefit from a $1,200 credit to one of four local businesses.
“Businesses aren’t donating any money,” he said. “I’m raising money to create a credit at these businesses to help people.
The four businesses are:
Black House Baked Goods is a local gluten-free bakery offering a small but delicious menu of celiac safe baked goods. The goal is to raise $1200 so that one local family would receive a credit up to $1200 to Black House Baked Goods.
Excel Painting does incredible work and are strong supporters in the community. Some people are struggling in isolation and are having feelings of depression; a fresh paint job can change how they feel. Other people have had their renovation dreams put on hold due to the pandemic. The goal is to raise $1200 so that one local family would receive a credit up to $1200 to Excel Painting.
Farmhouse Catering Company Ltd. is a local caterer that makes delicious food and their philosophy is local, ethical and sustainable; they support local farms and businesses as much as they can. The goal is to raise $1,200 so that one local family would receive a credit up to $1200 to Farmhouse Catering Company.
Competition Auto is a small garage located up beside the Jolly Market. They are extremely professional and friendly and do great, reliable work. We depend so much on vehicles these days to get us to our work, school or shopping and can be so stressful when they break down. The goal is to raise $1,200 so that one local family would receive a credit up to $1,200 to Competition Auto.
You can donate at his GoFundMe page here. He has already raised $1,500.
Nominations for families will be open May 1-31.
