Marathon Completed
Posted by Chad on Nov 10, 2009So I know I am a little slow with this update but better late than never. I completed the Marine Corps Marathon and raised a grand total of $2710 for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors! That is $90 over my goal of raising $100 per mile! I completed it in 5 hours and 22 minutes. My cousin Natalie, who came out from Colorado and ran it too, left me in her dust and completed it in 3 hours and 39 minutes to qualify for the Boston Marathon! It was a beautiful day with highs in the 60s and no wind. Perfect for marathon running. I had a great time (even towards the end when it started to hurt… there is just something about running with 25,000 people that is fun) and I left with a great sense of accomplishment! It was quite the rush running up the hill towards the Iwo Jima memorial with the big crowd of people cheering all the way to the finish. If you’re interested you can view photos of me running at the following link: http://community.marathonfoto.com/1369/finisher.cfm?bib=32656&lastName=Johnson
Thanks again to everyone who donated to my cause! TAPS is a great organization. I got this email today from a staff member with an update about the recent events at Ft Hood:
Undoubtedly, you have heard about the tragedy at Fort Hood and the 13 families who are at the dawn of their grief for their fallen military loved ones.
At this time, we simply want to say thank you for your support of TAPS, because you truly made it possible for our organization to fulfill our mission within the first few days of this tragedy.
Because of your past support, we were able to respond immediately to the need at Fort Hood, AND to those extended family members affected nationwide. Our crisis hotline saw a 200% increase in call volume over the last 4 days, and we know the calls will keep coming.
More than 80% of the families who lost their loved ones at Fort Hood reside outside of that immediate area, and TAPS is the only organization with the resources, staff and network of survivors nationwide to reach them in their time of need.
And now, we know the path of healing will lead many Fort Hood survivors on a journey for years to come. With your continued support, TAPS will stand ready to help those families for as long as they need us.
As the holiday season approaches, please keep TAPS and the families like those affected by Fort Hood in mind. Your donations help make a difference for those suffering the loss of a military loved one!
