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Lt. Willie Bland once ran from God but now, at age 57, he runs to raise donations for him.
Lt. Willie Bland, who once jogged in an Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) parking lot to stay sober, will run the New York City Marathon Nov. 4 to raise money for The Salvation Army’s World Services.
To achieve this goal, he is seeking sponsors.
Bland began running when he was a beneficiary at the Phoenix ARC. Up at 4 a.m., he faithfully ran around the parking lot every day, eventually branching out into South Mountain. He ran the PF Chang Marathon in Phoenix three times and qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2008, which he completed in three hours and 28 minutes.
After completing the program in Phoenix, he enrolled in the College for Officer Training and was commissioned with the Prayer Warriors Session in 2010. He served at the San Diego ARC and is now chaplain at the William Booth House in Seattle.
“By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit my life is not what it used to be,” Bland said. “I am running the New York City Marathon to raise funds for World Services so that others by God’s grace, love and fellowship, can have a chance for a changed life.”
Northwest Divisional Commander Major Douglas Tollerud supports Bland’s efforts, and you can help.
Contributions to Bland’s marathon run may be given to your local corps officer.
