The Boston Marathon 2011: Running for Plumpy'nut

This Monday is the 115th running of the Boston Marathon, with thousands of runners taking to the starting line in one of the greatest challenges of endurance.

Ted Fischer is one of these competitors, but he has an extra goal. Ted is hoping to raise 50,000 dollars to send 150,000 packets of plumpy'nut to the African nation of Sierra Leone.

What is plumpy'nut? It's a special peanut paste used to treat severely malnourished children. It is literally a life-saver in developing countries where war, natural disasters and poverty often limit access to foods for families.

Sierra Leone is recovering from a civil war, and it has a high rate of child malnutrition. Ted Fischer wants to raise money for the Rhode Island based Edesia, a non-profit organization which produces plumpy'nut. The plumpy would then be sent on to Sierra Leone to be distributed by aid agencies. Last year Edesia provided plumpy'nut to Haiti and Pakistan as part of disaster recovery efforts.

Fischer will be wearing a bright yellow jersey with Edesia's name. He already has garnered the nickname Plumpy'man. You can cheer him on and also help his cause by visiting Edesia's web site .

Learn more about Plumpy'nut in this 2010 video about Edesia.