The Children’s Inn Marine Corps Charity Team raises $43,000

The Children’s Inn at NIH’s Marine Corps Team #RunINN4Kids celebrated a months-long season of marathon and 10K training with a pasta party with Inn residents and staff on October 20, the Friday before their respective races. The team raised more than $43,000 for The Inn.

A variety of carb-heavy dishes, donated by Bethesda’s Mamma Lucia’s restaurant, brought runners to The Inn for a fun evening of socializing, food and the chance to connect on a deeper level with The Inn.

“Our team did an amazing job raising funds for The Inn’s families, and our pasta party was our way of saying thanks for their huge efforts and to help get everyone ready for the race,” said Julie Ofrecio, corporate partnerships and events manager at The Inn, who ran the Marine Corps 10K. “This was the first time many of the runners had the chance to visit The Inn to see our beautiful facilities, meet our board members and staff, and engage with our wonderful residents. It truly was a great event!“

Team #RunINN4Kids comprised 38 runners – 19 who ran the 10K and 19 who ran the marathon. Several corporate partners encouraged their employees to run for The Inn’s charity team, including Accenture, Emmes Corporation and ProShares, which added a combined number of 17 runners to The Children’s Inn’s MCM teams.

The Children’s Inn at NIH is a private nonprofit with the mission to provide “A Place Like Home” for children and their families participating in pediatric research at the Clinical Center of the world-renowned National Institutes of Health. The Inn reduces families’ burden of illness through free lodging and therapeutic and recreational activities as well as educational support to children. Since opening in 1990, more than 13,000 families from all 50 states and 94 countries have found a second home at The Inn. As a partner in discovery and care with the NIH, The Inn strives for the day when no family endures the heartbreak of a seriously ill child. To learn more about The Children’s Inn at NIH, visit www.childrensinn.org.

Caption1: Pictured are (from left) The Children's Inn at NIH's Marine Corps team runners (from left) Rebecca Venedictov of Damascus, Maryland; Robin Feldman of Bethesda, Maryland; and Michael Patschak of Rockville, Maryland. All are employed by Rockville-based Emmes Corporation.

Caption2: A number of The Children's Inn at NIH's Marine Corps team runners (from left) attend The Inn's recent pasta party to celebrate raising $43,000 for children with rare or critical illnesses residing at The Inn.