Running
is a global sport that isn't considered just one nation's historical
pastime, but is a universal sport that reaches all corners
of the globe. To me this is what makes it so special. The 117th
Boston Marathon on April 15 consisted of more than 23,336 runners representing over 96 countries across our world. The runners' ages ranged from 18 to 80-years-old. Forty of them were visually
impaired and over 55 were considered handicapped.
I'm
sure if every Boston marathon runner was asked the question "Why
do you love to run?," we would gather a wide array of answers
and personal stories. I'm also confident one common response would be
that most of them run because running brings them a feeling of peace
from their everyday stresses and problems.
Running
provides me peace every time I step onto the sidewalk on the
beautiful Boston trails near my home in Brighton. One of my favorite
runs is up the Charles River in Cambridge. I never feel more at peace
than when running up the Charles overlooking the sailors and rowers and with the view of the iconic CITGO sign in my distance.
Last
Monday, an evil terrorist event shattered the peace of Boston. The
city was bombed, three spectator's lives were lost, and over
180 people were injured. This hateful act shocked Boston, our Nation,
and our World.
Four
days later an MIT policeman was killed, while another policeman was
put into critical condition. In all of this tragedy, Boston came together to find the two marathon bombers which brought a sense of hope back to
our great city. After this tragic week, I have never been more proud to call myself a Bostonian.
This coming Memorial Day, I will be running my second full marathon in my home
state of Vermont with three of my best friends. Last November I ran
my first marathon in Philly with my inspiration being that it was
simply a long term goal of mine to complete one. This time around I
am running for a much bigger cause.
I
ask for your donations to help us in our mission to not run this
marathon for our own self accomplishments, but to run it for the
people who lost their lives or were injured by the Boston Marathon
bombings. We are running the Vermont marathon for Krystle
Campbell, Martin Richard, and Lu
Lingzi who were killed innocently cheering on the Boston Marathon
runners. We are running for the 180 people injured by the explosions
and for the families of those injured and killed. We are running for
Sean Collier, the MIT police officer, who was shot and killed Friday
night. We are running for the One Fund Boston. Thank you for any amount you can donate!
"Do not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" -Romans 12:21
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