Andrew Harding here; co-founder of Nocking Point Wines. You may have heard that I decided to run the NYC Marathon with my buddy Ashton Kutcher in support of Thorn, an NGO he co-founded dedicated to ending child sex trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. 

I'm proud to be part of Team Thorn in this year's NYC Marathon  and all fundraising contributions I make will go straight to Thorn. So before I formally ask for your donation, I’ll tell you why I’m running the NYC Marathon with Thorn:

1. Impact. It’s for a cause worth running (much longer) for: the safety and protection of our children.
2. Growth. To step outside my comfort zone. This is when personal growth happens the most…by far.
3. Commitment. I believe in setting goals that seem hard to reach, and then doing my all to make it happen.
4. Family. To show my own kids that when dad was in his mid-40's he knocked out 26.2 miles in NYC.
5. Creativity. To get outside…a LOT, and think creatively. It’s too easy to stay inside these days and being outdoors, alone, is incredible for so many reasons.
6. Inspire. To possibly inspire one other person, who in turn inspires someone else, and so on, to get outside and challenge themselves too. 5k, 10k whatever…go get it.
7. Support. I got asked to run it by a friend who I admire, who has shown all kinds of support to me, and who is a fantastic person…there was no way I could pass!
8. Health. Pushing myself physically has always been part of my life and you’re at your best when you feel your best.
9. Being part of something much bigger. We can all take off for a jog…but this is different. And bigger…in every possible way.

So, how is Nocking Point involved? Well, for every case of Gametime Wine purchased between now and my race, NP will contribute $100 to my fundraising goal. You can also donate directly to Thorn via my fundraising page and you’ll get a Nocking Point gift card worth 50% of your total donation. 

Help me support Ashton Kuthcer and Thorn as we tackle 26.2 miles together in NYC this November! 

Thank you,

Andrew Harding

PS: when training for a marathon, always look for the downhills and never forget water. You’re welcome.