Nick and Alice Halvorson have lived in Woodbury for nearly two decades. They’ve supported their two kids in multiple sports and have loved the community they’ve found in the Wedgewood neighborhood. Alice is also co-owner of The Flōstate—a virtual, on-demand fitness company—and fitness and giving back have long been a big part of both her life and career.
She’s part of the Chamber of Commerce, partners with Woodbury Thrives to get free fitness content out to the community, and sponsors events through the Woodbury Community Foundation (WCF). When the University of St. Thomas, where both Nick and Alice are alumni, moved to D1, the couple helped fund a Fuel Station where student athletes can get high-protein and high-carb snacks and support from dietitians before and after workouts.
“As much as we can, we want to stay local with what we do,” Halvorson says. “We have a lot of roots down here, and so many great relationships.”
A few years ago, Halvorson and her former colleague and youth running coach, Jeff Burkart, had another idea for giving back. This time, they wanted to do something specifically to address eating disorders, which skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the running world, where performance is often tied to weight and body composition, Burkart had observed the uptick in eating disorders firsthand. They’d heard of local organizations that provide prevention and recovery support, but wanted to make supporting the cause more accessible to their friends and neighbors, especially those in their fitness circles.
They had to start somewhere, so they launched a successful 5K and 1-Mile Run/Walk fundraiser in 2021, and it grew in 2022. Alice accepted registrations and directed funds to the local nonprofit WithAll.org, facilitating the logistics and tracking financials through her small business.
“We kicked around the idea of becoming our own nonprofit, but we’re just a couple of average Joes trying to do something cool in the community,” says Halvorson. A friend had been facilitating the Bash for Brains for years in partnership with WCF, and suggested it might be easier to set up a fund through the foundation and let the WCF team handle back-end support for the run. As a community foundation and local nonprofit, WCF is set up to hold and invest funds on behalf of specific local donors, projects, and interest areas—even handling things like accounting, gift receipting, and event registration.
“Partnering with WCF was a really good fit for us, because we could come under the umbrella of the foundation. Live Brave is not its own nonprofit, but it’s a lot like one–only with the backing of a larger organization,” Halvorson adds. “It was a win-win, and we felt really comfortable creating this partnership. And they just continue to improve.”
Now entering year four, the Live Brave Fund and Live Brave Events continue to grow in both reputation and scope, with runners coming from across the country and even Switzerland. Last year, the event raised $11,500 for WithAll, which continues to take a proactive, long-term approach to building healthy relationships with food. By creating a cultural shift in how adult role models talk about health, they hope to challenge the status quo of diet culture and body ideals. They also provide financial support for those in recovery from eating disorders.
With the run—and this type of local support—growing, the Live Brave team is beginning to dream about what’s next. That’s something they couldn’t have imagined a couple years ago.
“The sky’s the limit! WCF can help you bring your idea to life,” Halvorson says. “They’ve seen it all, and can understand how to support your initiative and remove barriers to entry. If you don’t know where to start, but want to make a difference, they can map it out and help you get started.”
Launch a Project at Woodbury Community Foundation
Have an idea for making a difference locally? When you launch a fund through WCF, it’s like running your own nonprofit, only the foundation will take care of accounting, legal, and fundraising tasks. There are several options to fit the scope and direction you’re going for!
