SAN FRANCISCO - On July 26, Devesh Khatu reached the halfway point in a plan to run 12 marathons in 12 months in 2009 to raise funds for Horizons Foundation. To date, he has raised over $11,000 for Horizons' programs that strengthen nonprofits and promote giving in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

The idea started as the personal goal of a runner turning 40. "I wanted to do something special to mark this year," said Khatu, who also serves as Horizons' Development Officer. "And since I knew fundraising would most likely be tough this year, I thought this would be a unique way to combine the two - something different from a single event." Khatu ran his first marathon in 2005, and the six races so far this year - Austin, Napa Valley, Boston, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco - bring his lifetime total up to 17 marathons. He is next scheduled to run the Berlin Marathon in September. By the end of the year, he will have covered nearly 315 miles in races alone.

"All of us are amazed and humbled by what Devesh is achieving here," said Roger Doughty, Horizons Foundation's Executive Director. "Not just the physical feat, which is, of course, considerable. But also the fact that he has taken this personal goal and turned it into something that benefits the whole LGBT community. Such perseverance, creativity, and selflessness are truly remarkable, and a hallmark of what our community is all about."

Because Khatu has already met his original goal of raising $10,000, he put out a new challenge. "So far, 75 people have donated to Horizons through my marathon fundraiser. If another 75 people sponsor me by December 6, 2009 - the date of the California International Marathon, my 12th race - then I'll run a 13th marathon before the 12 months end: the Mumbai Marathon on January 17, 2010."

All of the money Khatu has raised supports Horizons' work on behalf of the LGBT community, including grantmaking, donor education, leadership development, and philanthropic advocacy. Founded in 1980, Horizons Foundation was the world's first community foundation that focused on LGBT issues.

For more information about Devesh Khatu's marathon challenge and how to sponsor him, please visit www.horizonsfoundation.org/12marathons.