Spreading some goodness at Mountain Point Medical Center with UtahRUN and Hoka One One

With life drastically changed right now and let's face it, sucking it big time, I'm glad when I get to have a day filled with happiness.

Some context and background.  I have been running in Hoka shoes for years.  I won't run in anything else.  I have so many pairs that it's laughable.  Unless you're Splenda Daddy and then maybe it's cry-able.  Just kidding he's as much a believer as I am.  You see, after my two neck surgeries I was told to stop running.  I didn't. I stuck with my Hoka's.  After a couple of injections in my knees for arthritis, I was told to stop running.  I didn't.  I stuck with my Hoka's.  I have found that as long as I run in my Hoka's, train on my treadmill and the trails and only race on the trails, I have been able to run injury free now for over 5 years.  I really limit my road miles to no more than a 5k but the mountain trails have my love.  Jeez, I'm a freaking walking spokesperson for Hoka and the benefit they are to runners, walkers, anyone who needs deluxe cushion under them.

As manager and buyer at UtahRUN, I get to interact with our vendors and sales rep's.  My Hoka rep's have been outstanding and some of my favorite people to work with.  They, along with many other brands have been extending offers to reward our health care workers on the front lines during this Covid pandemic.  My Hoka rep reached out first with the easiest way to accomplish this as a combined effort.  With UtahRUN's owner's blessing, I jumped on it.  I reached out to a hospital right in the same town but after no timely response, I thought of the hospital just a few miles away that had taken such good care of me after my car accident.  They are a little smaller and not part of the big fish of Healthcare systems in the state of Utah, but they still have ER staff that are exposed and dealing with the Corona Virus just the same as others. 

I reached out via email and within minutes had a reply excited about the opportunity we were offering them. We had some back and forth figuring out logistics and then we were set.

Mountain Point Medical Center in Lehi, UT

Yesterday, three of us from UtahRUN and a videographer Travis (there to capture it all) met at the hospital with over 70 pairs of Hoka One One shoes. 

Jess, Mindi, me, Travis

We got set up in a board room and in two different shifts were able to fit 24 ER nurses with brand new, comfortable shoes.  They could choose which model was most comfortable, and sometimes we even had the perfect color. 

Nurses with their new Hoka's

They look awesome on their feet!

Words cannot express how heartwarming it was to hear and see the gratitude they expressed to us.  I watched as some nurses who had just finished their shifts put on a pair and then audibly sigh as they walked around on the marshmellow-like feeling of their Hoka's with smiles on their faces.What an incredible feeling it was to be able to express OUR gratitude to them for all their hard work and sacrifice with a simple gesture of new shoes and then they in turn expressed their gratitude for the new shoes.  I only wish our Hoka One One rep could have been there.  It truly was a amazing experience.

I wish there was more of this in this world. 
Mutual respect. 
Mutual gratitude for the actions of others.
Love reciprocated.

I am so grateful to work for UtahRUN and the amazing owner who wants to serve the community in any way he can.
I am so thankful to Tres, my Hoka One One rep, and their amazing program of giving back to our heroes on the front lines, in the trenches, doing the dirty work.  Those nurses run around for 12 hours tending to the sick all the while hoping they don't contract it themselves.  Not to mention the injured that come in as well.  I've watched them.  I've seen them in their element and they are amazing.  Thank a nurse the next time you see one!

And yeah..... mutual respect, love reciprocated.  Give it a try.