If you’ve spent any time poking around the blog, you’ll know that one of my non-graduate-school projects is helping raise money to fund volcano observatories in Guatemala, particularly the Santiaguito Volcano Observatory (where I did my field work). The International Volcano Monitoring Fund has made that possible – this year we raised $4,000 to buy equipment for OVSAN!

But the fundraising isn’t done yet, because there are other observatories in Guatemala that need the same help. So Jonathan Stone, a volcanology PhD student at University of East Anglia, has volunteered to organize running races in the U.K. to raise money for the IVM-Fund. He has recruited three of his friends to race (and raise money) with him, he had custom running shirts made (using the IVM-Fund logo), and even set up a Facebook page to advertise the effort.

He calls the fundraising program “Run/Walk – Safer Lives: Fundraising for the IVM-Fund”. The main events so far will the Norwich Half-Marathon on November 27, and it looks like there will be some island-based running in the Montserrat Volcano Half-Marathon (November 26) as well!

Sponsor runners by clicking through the links on the Facebook Page or by going directly to the IVM-Fund’s Donation page. (And be sure to let Jonathan and his friends know about your support on their Facebook Wall!)