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[ Background speaking,
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>> Reporter: Hi,
I'm Nels Jensen,
with The Business Press.
We're here at the 2010 Spirit
of the Entrepreneur Awards.
And now we're visiting
with our Social Entrepreneur
winner, Kara Lubin,
from the 100 Mile Club,
based here in Corona.
And now, this is a club
where elementary school children
at school keep track
of their mileage -- running.
A hundred miles
in a year wins some kind
of reward -- loyalty, you know,
reward program.
Obviously this didn't start
with any type of a business.
>> Kara Lubin: No.
>> Nels:
So how did it become an
entrepreneurial enterprise?
>> Kara Lubin: Well,
I did this 100 Mile Club project
in my classroom for 12 years,
before anybody even asked me
what I was doing.
I had a group of 12 students --
between 12 and 15 students a
year -- who were special
needs students.
So, you know, in a school system
at the time,
it was just nobody really asked
me what I was doing.
They were just happy
that the kids were learning
and they were connected.
So another teacher started using
the program,
and then a couple more started
using it.
And then a Kiwanis --
I went to a Kiwanis meeting.
They asked me to come and talk
to them about the 100 Mile Club,
and I didn't understand why they
wanted to know anything
about what I was doing.
So I went and I spoke there.
And I spoke at another place,
and a man gave me a check.
And I didn't really look at it.
And I just said thank you,
and I stuck it in my pocket,
and went home.
And it was a check for $500.
Oops!
>> Nels: You're okay,
keep going.
>> Kara Lubin:
And so I needed somewhere
to put it.
I didn't -- it wasn't my money.
It belonged to the kids.
So that's when I went
through the process
of becoming a corporation,
and then a nonprofit
organization,
because I needed --
and I called him and I said,
I'm sorry, I don't have anywhere
to put your check right now,
so just hang tight.
And -- I will.
And that's how it started.
And then once people found
out that I was able to expand,
and people wanted
to use the program,
we went from 250 students
to 8,000, in a matter
of about three months.
>> Nels: Wow!
And you were not in --
>> Kara Lubin: We're in --
we're in 80 schools, maybe more.
I've of kind of lost count.
I haven't really looked
at the graph
in a couple of days.
And we're in five
or six states now.
And we have a school
in Canada now.
So that's exciting.
>> Nels:
So what is your role now?
>> Kara Lubin: I am President
and founder.
And, really, I am the only --
I had to step away
from teaching,
so I'm not teaching any more.
And so I'm just directing the
whole project.
And it's really an army
of volunteers,
and everybody works really,
really hard to keep the vision
of what we're trying to do
with our kids,
and keep the mission clear,
and to make sure
that our students are becoming
healthy and happy and connected.
I mean, solving the problem
of inactivity and --
you know, I hate
to use the word childhood
obesity, because it's
such a buzzword right now --
but really getting our kids
healthy and promoting an active
lifestyle takes a
whole community.
>> Nels: Sure.
And just this recognition
and achievement for kids is
so important
to their self-esteem, anyway.
>> Kara Lubin: Right.
And teaching them to set
and achieve a long-term goal is
really a challenge.
I mean, some
of our kids are five years old
that are running.
And that's one-fifth
of their life,
and that's a tremendous amount
of time for them.
So to ask them to commit
to doing something
for that long,
it requires coaching.
It requires, you know,
a lot of cheerleading.
And it's fun.
It's just fun.
>> Nels: Sure.
>> Kara Lubin: So --
wouldn't do it if it wasn't.
>> Nels: Well, good for you.
Fantastic program.
Congratulations on the --
>> Kara Lubin: Thank you.
>> Reporter: -- award.
We've been visiting
with Kara Lubin,
from the 100 Mile Club,
now in more than 80 schools.
I'm Nels Jensen,
with The Business Press.