Sure, mapping your daily runs is awesome, and can really help you track your fitness progress and goals. But what if you could do some good as well (I mean, it IS the season for that sort of thing, after all)? Well, a new app released for Android and iPhone (with Windows Phone coming soon) is designed with that idea in mind. Called Charity Miles, this app will track your run, walk, or bike ride and help you earn money to donate to the charity of your choice.
Donations are sponsored by several major corporations such as Humana, Johnson & Johnson, Timex, and Kenneth Cole as well as personal donations from app creator Gene Gurkoff. The app has been around for a while and has donated $127,000 to fight diseases like autism and around $50,000 to wounded veterans since its launch.
To use the app, all you have to do is download it, open the app, do your exercise and then hit finish on the app. It will calculate how much money you have earned for your selected charity and prompt you to accept the sponsorship. And presto! You’ve helped out just a little bit. Runs and walks will earn $0.25 per mile and cycling will earn $0.10 per mile. If you choose to donate to Feeding America, then one mile will equal about two meals donated. Indoor running is supported, but indoor cycling is not. The FAQ page states that it uses GPS. I’m not 100% sure how well it will work indoors, taking that into account, but it is theoretically supported.
Here are a few of the charities you can donate to with the app:
- Feeding America
- ASPCA
- The Michael J. Fox Foundation
- Habitat for Humanity
- DoSomething.org
- Wounded Warrior Project
- Stand Up To Candcer
- Autism Speaks
- Every Mother Counts
- Achilles International
- Partnership for a Healthier America
- The Nature Conservancy
- Ironman Foundation
For more information on the app, check out their website.
