On the heels of completing a marathon on behalf of a national eating disorder association, musician Alanis Morisette has pledged to run another. She is joining Edward Norton's effort to lead a team of 30 runners with three Maasai warriors in running the New York City Marathon on November 1. The initiative, dubbed the Masaai Marathon, aims to raise awareness and funding for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust.
Created in 2000, the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust's mission is to preserve the biodiversity of the Masaai tribal lands of East Africa through promoting education, conservation and health services that directly benefit the Masaai community. The grasslands that the Masaai tribe calls home is being threatened by rapid industrial development. The Masaai community is deeply involved with creating programs to protect biodiversity and local wildlife.
Trust funds are used to build schools, employ teachers, build dispensaries, hire game scouts to monitor and prevent poaching, and provide medical services and equipment, among other services.
You can sponsor your favorite runner or the entire team here. So far, individuals have raised over $343,000 for the Masaai Wilderness Conservation Trust.
Morisette and Norton will be joined by magician David Blaine, as well as employees from companies such as AECOM and Goldman Sachs.
WATCH Edward Norton's Masaai Marathon video: