Fairfield Teens Raise Thousands With Memorial Day Marathon

FAIRFIELD, CT — With Fairfield’s Memorial Day parade canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, two teens have come up with their own plan to honor those who lost their lives in military service.

Anna Keeley and Anna Burgess, both 15 and sophomores at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, will walk the length of a marathon as a fundraiser for the USO of Metropolitan New York.

“Even in times of crisis, we shouldn’t forget about our active service members,” Burgess said.

Both girls run on the track team at Ludlowe, but with their season canceled because of the virus, they’ve instead been walking several miles each day to prepare for the more than 26 miles in a marathon.

“I think we have a really good chance of keeping strong throughout the whole marathon,” Burgess said.

Their route will take them on a tour of Fairfield neighborhoods, from Jennings Beach to Pine Creek, then through downtown Southport and up to Greenfield Hill, wrapping up in Black Rock and then back to the beach. They expect the walk will take about 12 hours.

“I am so excited to walk our first marathon and to give back, especially during these rough and sad times,” Keeley said.

Keeley’s father, Greg Keeley, is on the board of the USO of Metropolitan New York and connected the girls with USO representatives who helped them make a fundraising web page, which they have been promoting on social media. The USO is the nation’s leading organization serving men and women in the U.S. military, according to its website.

As of Sunday evening, Keeley and Burgess had raised twice their goal of $2,620.

To donate, visit bit.ly/2TA8Wig. To follow Keeley and Burgess on their marathon, visit @MforMD2020 on Instagram, @MforMD2020 on TikTok and Marathoning for Memorial Day on YouTube.