Hope and Comfort Inc.

Friends and Family,

I am overjoyed and extremely grateful to have been selected to run the 2020 Boston Marathon on behalf of an incredible Boston nonprofit - Hope & Comfort!  This will undoubtedly be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly terrified, but I’m determined to prove to myself and my kids that limitations don’t have to define us and we can do hard things. 

My story began when I was in elementary school and began running with my Dad.  I loved running growing up.  Fast forward many years later where I injured my knee playing soccer in my senior year of high school.  What started as one surgery escalated into both knees being operated on for a total of 6 surgeries over the course of 7 years and I was forced to stop my collegiate field hockey career and told I should never run again.  I was always very active so this was a tough pill to swallow.  But, I was in a lot of pain so I listened and didn’t run….until 2019.

I started testing my running abilities back in May 2019 as an assessment to see if I could run at all as my sister told me she wanted to run a Half Marathon for her 40th birthday and I wanted to be there as support.  It hasn’t been easy at all but I have been training hard and have done a lot of physical therapy to get my knees/legs prepared.  While that run hasn’t yet taken place (it’s in February at Disney!) I was itching to try another Half Marathon and so I ran the Missouri Cowbell Half Marathon back in October. I was so proud of my accomplishment of completing it in 1:55 that I started thinking about bigger goals.  Enter the Boston Marathon – the biggest of them all!

As most of my friends and family know, my family and I recently moved back to St. Louis, MO (my hometown) but I lived in Boston for 14 years.  I love Boston and still consider it home as I experienced a lot of life there….I developed amazing friendships, met my husband (Tom), we bought our first house, and raised our 2 young boys (Luke -7 and Jack – 5) there until we moved in the summer of 2018.  Boston will always hold a special place in my heart.

The Boston Marathon it is one of the most amazing events I have ever experienced and I looked forward to Patriots Day year after year.  The enthusiasm of Bostonians cheering on people of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds who are participating in one of the toughest sporting events ever is something indescribable and I’ve always watched from the sidelines thinking I’d never get the opportunity to participate due to my knees. But I’ve learned this year, never say never! 

As previously mentioned, I’m beyond thrilled to have been selected to raise money and run on behalf of a Boston based charity, Hope & Comfort, for the 2020 event. I couldn’t be more excited to run 26.2 miles through Boston’s suburbs and make that right on Hereford and left on Boylston on their behalf!  Crossing this off my bucket list will be an unbelievable feeling….but knowing I’m helping children with basic hygiene needs is even more fulfilling. 

Hope & Comfort is an incredible Boston based nonprofit that is working to end hygiene insecurity.  Hygiene products are necessities and thousands across Greater Boston are routinely unable to access these basic essentials.  That’s where Hope & Comfort comes in.  In 2019 alone, they distributed 500,000 hygiene items – such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and more – to local youth and families. This year, in 2020, they are on track to distribute 1 million hygiene products! Their mission to end hygiene insecurity aims to improve health, boost self-esteem, and support lifelong healthy habits.  I cannot imagine not having access to these basic needs, and so I’m thrilled to raise money for this charity that is doing such good within their community. 

By the numbers:

·       58% of low-income individuals reported cutting back on food to afford hygiene products

·       40% reported skipping or delaying rent payments to obtain products

·       0% of hygiene products are covered by SNAP benefits

In order for my Boston Marathon dream to come true, I have pledged to raise a minimum of $5,000 on behalf of Hope & Comfort. Please consider donating towards my $5,000 fundraising goal.  Every little bit helps and will get basic hygiene products to children in need and me to the starting line in Hopkinton!

Thank you!