S.R. Staley will be running, biking, and paddling to raise money for the homeless in the Loramie Lake (OH) triathlon. His efforts will support The Other Place, a private nonprofit organization providing services to the Dayton area's homelss since 1988.

Staley's support for The Other Place is natural, he says. "After all, Isabella, the lead character in The Pirate of Panther Bay is homeless. She's an escaped slave from an 18th century Haitian sugar planation and captains her own pirate ship. She has no place but her floating home. Yet, she yearns for the stability and security of life as a free person and a permanent home."

The Other Place provided shelter and other serivces to more than 2,500 men and women in 2006. On any given day, 800 people are homeless in the Dayton area. Almost half the area's homeless are families with children, and there is an unment need for at least 200 permanent affordable housing units.

Staley has offerred to provide a free copy of his novel to anyone donating more than $50 to the Other Place. Anyone wishing to support his efforts are encouraged to use the secure online donation form on The Other Place web site, http://www.theotherplace.org.