Dear Friends,

I am reaching out to ask for your support.

 

As you may know, I was near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013 with several friends when the bombs were detonated. It was a tragic day, and lives were lost and 17 people lost limbs. The resilience of the City and people has been incredible to witness. Over the years, I’ve been inspired by several of the amputees that have returned to run the Boston Marathon, such as Rebekah Gregory: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/losing-leg-bombing-boston-marathon-runner-regains-life/.

 

The Boston Marathon is a special event. I’ve had the pleasure (and the pain) of running Boston every year since 1998 and will be headed there in April for the 2022 Boston Marathon. Since this will be my 25th, I wanted to mark the occasion by trying to raise money for an incredible cause called the Bionic Project.

 

Based in the Boston area, the Bionic Project was founded by a good friend of mine, Will Borden. The charity's mission is to promote active lifestyles and inclusive environments for those who have to overcome physical challenges. Will is a below-the-knee amputee himself, and he has done lots of testing of new robotic and bionic devices that can restore and augment movement for those who have lost mobility due to aging, disease, or trauma. The Bionic Project’s signature event is the annual Bionic5k (https://www.bionic5k.com/), an inclusive road race in Harvard Square. The race features advanced prototype technologies and brings adaptive and able-bodied athletes together to shift people's perception of disability and to highlight the tenacity and resilience in all of us.

 

I feel privileged to be able to run and running has had a profound impact on my life. I believe that supporting groups like the Bionic Project is a way to help broaden the opportunity for all people to actively participate without limitation.

 

I recognize that there are many worthy causes, but I hope that you might consider supporting my run this year and the Bionic Project (increments of $25 of course).

 

Thank you!

Drew