On a mission: Fifteen-day trek planned to benefit local charity

View larger image SuSu Jennings, 49, of Frogtown, runs Tuesday along Chester Street in Front Royal on the Winchester-to-Front Royal leg of her 15-day run. Rich Cooley/Daily View larger image Rich Cooley/Daily

CORRECTION: A quote in a story published Wednesday about Teens Opposing Poverty's mission and membership should have been attributed to Steve Jennings, the executive director of the nonprofit group.

By Ben Orcutt - borcutt@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL - Running one marathon is a daunting task, let alone 15 in 15 days, but that's exactly the mission that SuSu Jennings is on and for a good cause.

Mrs. Jennings, 49, began the trek with a 28-mile run from Winchester to Front Royal on Tuesday, and plans to run the equivalent of a marathon a day for the next 15 days until she finishes in Lynchburg.

"It's gonna be a test," Mrs. Jennings said Tuesday at the gazebo in Front Royal where she completed her run and from where she will take off this morning on the second leg of her journey. "What makes it worthwhile is the cause I'm running for, which is Teens Opposing Poverty."

A nonprofit based in Berryville, Mrs. Jennings' husband, Steve Jennings, is the director of Teens Opposing Poverty.

"Our mission statement is to raise up an army of youth who are actively involved in the fight against hunger and poverty," said Mrs. Jennings, 54. "Last year we had 61 youth groups working in eight cities [across Virginia and including Washington] and it was over 1,100 youth and adult volunteers."

Mrs. Jennings' goal is to raise $25,000 and so far, she's about 10 percent of the way there, she said. Reaching goals is nothing new for her. In 2007, she weighed 274 and embarked on a goal of shedding 135 pounds, which she accomplished through dieting and a new-found love of running.

In two years, Mrs. Jennings has gone from running a mile to running a 100-mile race in March in 26.5 hours. Losing weight and being a success at long-distance running has inspired her to go on her current mission for Teens Opposing Poverty.

"Raising awareness and money," she said. "Raising support also. I have people who are sponsoring me for as little as a penny a mile up to $1,000 for the whole thing. I think about all the people who are supporting me and sponsoring me because I'm running for them too. They're cheering me on."

A member of Providence Chapel United Methodist Church in Frogtown, where she lives with her husband and their 15-year-old daughter, Lindsey, Mrs. Jennings draws on the Bible for strength.

"As I was losing weight and when I run, my scripture verse is Philippians 4:13 -- 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,'" she said. "I tell you, during those long runs, there's some point during a race you want to quit and every time I start thinking about the people who are my friends, who are supporting me, cheering me on and I think about God and his strength and then eventually he gives me the strength to keep moving.

"If I have to crawl across the finish line in Lynchburg, I'm gonna do it."

To donate to Mrs. Jennings' run, visit the website 15in15.com. She also will be blogging about her progress each day at teensopposingpoverty.org and can be heard mornings during her campaign during the 7 a.m. hour on WPER radio at 88.1 FM.