Every summer for the past several years, Buchanan Street Partners has assembled real estate professionals from throughout self-storage and other industries to participate in a marathon sports event and raise money for children's charities. The 2008 event is coming up on Sept. 12, and it's not too late to get a team together! If you've got a competitive streak and enjoy being outdoors, what could be better as the season winds to a close than to gather on the California coast for friendly bouts of volleyball, basketball, a kayak/run relay and an obstacle-course relay? Can't you just smell the salt air now?

The event is called Challenge for Children, and it's one of two annual fundraisers Buchanan hosts, the other being the Encore for Education charity concert that generates donations for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. (This year's concert featured a performance by Crosby, Stills and Nash.) The multi-sport fundraiser, geared toward commercial real estate professionals, raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for causes like the United Way "Success by 6" program. For a donation of $3,500, companies can enter a team of eight to 10 competitors. And not only do they get to play, they get to socialize and enjoy a celebratory beachside barbecue.

If you have any interest in participating, you can register online or download a PDF registration form.

I want to personally congratulate BSP on its consistent charity efforts. I see more and more self-storage and real estate-related companies giving back to their communities, but the scale and organization of the Buchanan events is supremely impressive.

And because Inside Self-Storage wants to support businesses that support those in need, this year, we have initiated a new program to contribute. The ISS Humanitarian Service Award will give $2,000 to each of four companies that are engaging in charitable causes. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 1. You can get more info and an application form at www.insideselfstorage.com/humanitarian_award.

Here are a few picks from last year's Challenge for Children event to inspire you!