Pints Pavement Pounders Founder, Megan Card, Launches New Project with Washington Vets Will Clinic

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By Natasha Ashenhurst

Olympia Auto Mall sponsorMegan Card was an undergrad at Eastern Washington University, working part-time as a copy/errand girl for a local law firm, when she realized that she wanted to be an attorney.  “My job was to pick up the dry cleaning, and make a lot of copies,” she remembers with a laugh. “When I wasn’t running errands or making copies I discovered that I really enjoyed reading legal cases. That was when I made the decision to attend law school.”

veteran legal clinic
Olympia attorney, Megan Card, is bringing a free will clinic for veterans to the area on October 18.

Card, born and raised in Olympia, interned for Rodgers, Kee, P.S. after her first year at law school. After graduating from Gonzaga, Card moved back to Olympia in 2010 and joined what is now Rodgers Kee & Card, P.S.

“The firm is lovely. It is so family-oriented. When my dog was a puppy he came to work with me every day,” explains Card.  “We are a general practice firm, so we do a little of everything, but my focus is criminal defense and family law and estate planning,” she said.

Card enjoys the contrasts in her work. “Criminal defense work is very interesting. The facts are intriguing. Family law can often be more divisive as there are usually a lot of emotions involved,” she says.

However, no matter how much she loves her work, it is stressful. “After a day of intense mental work, I need that break, something to clear my head,” she says.

As a law student in Spokane she would run off the stress with a running group called The Flying Irish. They would meet every Thursday at a local bar, run three miles, and then drink a beer.

“When I moved back home I really missed my running group, so I decided to bring that idea to Olympia. I approached Pints Barn because it is located in a great area with a lot of running trails nearby. We had our first meeting on July 5, 2012. My goal was to have 25 people show up. We had 65 attend that first run.”

“It is all word of mouth. There has not been one single week when we haven’t had a new runner join,” she continues.

Pints Pavement Pounders (P3) is the name of the running group. They meet every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at Pints Barn in Tumwater. The group attracts runners at all levels. They run a three-mile run, then regroup at Pints Barn and socialize over a pint or two.

pints pavement pounders
Megan Card started Pints Pavement Pounders, modeling it after a running club she participated in while living in Spokane.

Card loves the relationships she sees developing as a result of the group. She said, “There was a gal who showed up two months ago who was recently divorced. Now, she has friendships from people she met through the group.”

To date, P3 has had 1,618 people run with them at least one time. Card’s dad is one of the group’s ambassadors. “Last year we completed the Capital City Half-Marathon together. It was something he really wanted to do,” says Card.  “This is all due to the running club. I hear these stories all the time. People are reaching their goals. Something so simple and fun is making a real difference I peoples’ lives.”

P3 traces its roots to Spokane, as does Card’s most recent project – The Vets Will Clinic. “Recently, I was contacted by the Young Lawyer Division in Spokane to bring their free estate planning clinic for veterans west of the mountains. At first I said ‘no’, because I had too much on my plate, but then I met with one of the founders and she told me stories of how the program has helped so many veterans. My dad is a veteran,” she said.

On October 18 you’ll find Card in Lakewood, running the Washington Vets Will Clinic, which offers free estate planning for veterans.

pints pavement pounders
Pints Pavement Pounders founder, Megan Card, celebrates a birthday with runner, Tyler.

It is easy to take part in the event. Veterans interested in attending must pre-register by October 15 online at wavetswillclinic.com/sign-up or in person at 324 West Bay Dr. NW, Olympia.

Before the October 18, attorneys will prepare the documents from the veteran’s registration information, and then will meet with the veterans in person to review the wills. Then, the veterans will go into a signing room with volunteer notaries.  Finally, they’ll walk out with wills, power of attorney and healthcare directives.

Card says, “We have volunteer opportunities available for attorneys, notaries and community members desiring to help. This is the first year of the event, so we are hoping for a great turnout, though, right now we have more volunteer attorneys than we do veterans. This is a great opportunity for new lawyers who need experience in estate planning. It is also an incredible opportunity to veterans to put their estate in order, for free, from talented attorneys who are looking for a way to give back to their community.”

To learn more, visit wavetswillclinic.com/sign-up.

 

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