Stepping up for the ARA Foundation by taking the Editor’s Challenge

Oct. 24, 2021 - By Wayne Walley - Rental Management Editor-in-Chief

At least 20 participants in the ARA Foundation Virtual 5K accepted my Rental Management Editor’s Challenge to see if they would walk more steps than me on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at The ARA Show™ 2021 in Las Vegas.

If the challenge was accepted, I pledged to make a $25 donation to the ARA Foundation in the name of the first 20 people who exceeded my step total on Tuesday and if a challenger did not exceed my total, they would agree to donate an additional $25 to the ARA Foundation.

My final tally of steps that day on blistered feet was 25,292 steps. Over the course of six days, including travel days on Saturday and Thursday, my step total for The ARA Show 2021 was 97,703.

As of Friday, not all of the challengers had responded with their Tuesday step totals, but so far, three people did beat me:

• Angie Venekamp, Rental Network, Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, and the American Rental Association (ARA) Region Ten director, logged 31,549 steps.
• David Andrews, Sullair, A Hitachi Group Co., and an ARA Foundation trustee-at-large, came it at 30,893 steps.
• Matt Gilbertson, Fargo RentAll, Fargo, N.D., also exceeded my total with 27,925 steps.

Two others came really close: Jennifer Beecher, Deere, Moline, Ill., had 24,776 steps and Meghan Thomas, Pahrump Rentals, Pahrump, Nev., finished with 24,638.

A few others didn’t necessarily think they would beat my number of steps but still wanted to participate in a fun way to continue to support the ARA Foundation.

For example, Kara Longmire, Alert Rental Software, Colorado Springs, Colo., spent most of Tuesday at the company’s booth, which limited her time to walk and finished with around 9,500 steps.

Beth Hoff Blackmer, Aspen Rentall, Basalt, Colo., and ARA chair, had 12,568 steps.

Rob Leiser, Leiser’s of Easton Rentalbarn, Forks Township, Pa., in an email sent to me to report his steps, said he was “in it to win it.” His tales of walking from Paris to the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall and back, complete with a stop at In-N-Out Burger for “renewed energy” to finish with 20,225 steps or 9.75 miles may not have beaten my number of steps, but for his perseverance, I will make a personal donation of $25 to the ARA Foundation in his name.

In fact, to thank all that responded to take the Editor’s Challenge, I will make a personal donation to the ARA Foundation in all of their names for a total donation of $500, which would have been the donation if 20 people beat me. Some of the challengers already have made the additional $25 donation, including the ones who beat me, so we just might raise another $1,000 for the great programs sponsored by the ARA Foundation.

Even if you didn’t participate in the Editor’s Challenge, you can donate any amount to the ARA Foundation by clicking here.

The proceeds from the Editor’s Challenge, the Virtual 5K registrations, and funds raised through this year’s other new offering, the ARA Foundation Online Auction, support the programs of the ARA Foundation which include scholarships, employee training assistance, disaster relief and the Community Impact Program partnership with The Toro Company Foundation.

Those interested in participating in the Virtual 5K even now that the show is over can still do so — the event runs through Sunday, Oct. 31. Get more information here.

There still is time to participate in the Online Auction, which runs through Monday, Oct. 25. To view the wide variety of items on offer and place your bids, click here.