Mingling with teammates - some of whom I had not seen since we crossed the finish line on Boylston Street this past April - we eyed the outline of the giant cardboard check cleverly concealed under a Boston Marathon heatsheet (the seemingly flimsy yet amazingly effective capes we receive after crossing the finish line to protect against the rapid temperature drop) as we eagerly awaited the grand total for the 2015 season. After some opening remarks including a lovely and heartfelt thank you from the B.A.A. for everything our team brings to the marathon experience (thank you B.A.A., the feeling is mutual!), it was time to set the stage for the reveal with a few fun facts.
In 2015 our team had:
- 576 Runners from over 33 states and 5 countries (wow!!!)
- 41,604 donors from dozens of countries and 6 of the 7 continents (Antarctica was the only continent not represented...more on that later!)
- Gifts ranging from $5.00 to $25,000 (because every gift truly adds up!)
- A team goal of raising $5.2 million dollars through the 2015 DFMC Season
This past summer we learned that our team had met our goal of $5.2 million, which is an incredible feat in and of itself. But if you haven't learned by now, our team has a habit of not only setting goals but surpassing them in a big way (it's kinda our thing). And so, without further ado...
That's right friends, after raising $16,600 dollars for vital cancer research, training through one of the worst winters on record, running countless miles, and capping it all off with a 26.2 mile jaunt through freezing rain - I finally got to hold one of those large cardboard checks. Cross that one off the bucket list!
Oh and we surpassed our team goal by just a few dollars...$204,653.73 to be exact, for a grand total of $5,404,653.73!!!
Here is what I think you should do. You should print out this picture, cut around the outline of the check and hold it up for yourself (happy little dance optional but encouraged). Because I could not have done this without all of YOU.
"Thank you" does not come close to expressing the depths of my gratitude to each and every person who has supported this team in our journey. Each generous gift, prayer, note of support, congratulatory comment, and good vibe sent our way were appreciated more than you can ever know. The proof of which was not only in the tremendous grand total announced last evening, but also in the poignant and moving words shared by my intrepid and inspirational teammates who have been personally touched by the research funded through this challenge.
So...who is ready to do it again??? The 2015 experience was so incredibly powerful that I still haven't been able to put it all into perspective or words to share here (I am working on it!), but suffice it to say I have never been more proud of anything than being a part of this team and our mission.
T-Minus 199 days. Now who knows someone in Antarctica that wants to make a gift of $26.20 to start me off???
