Peabody resident Amy Ryan to run Boston Marathon for David Ortiz Children's Fund

Peabody resident Amy Ryan will be running the Boston Marathon this year for the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, which provides lifesaving heart surgeries and other pediatric care for children in New England and Ortiz’s native Dominican Republic. An employee at the American Academy of Personal Training, Amy received a bib from one of the school’s graduates who had ties to the BAA and she saw it as a rewarding opportunity to use her bib as a platform to raise money and get behind a cause she felt passionate about. Running the marathon is a display of heart and determination; being a member of the David Ortiz Children’s Fund Running Team means that you will use that heart and determination to increase the number of lifesaving surgeries that are available to children. The heartbreaking reality that there are children who do not have the means to receive treatment they need to survive inspired Amy to run her first marathon ever in Boston on April 17^th. Each year, over 2,000 children in both New England and the Dominican Republic are born with congenital heart defects (CHD) and will require surgery. The cost for this life-saving surgery is $5,000, a number that is staggering to many families. The David Ortiz Children Fund works with MassGeneral Hospital for Children and the World Pediatric Project in identifying children in need of this critical care, and Amy is supporting this special mission during Big Papi’s first year of retirement where he’s continuing to dedicate his next chapter to helping children in need.

To donate to the David Ortiz Children's Fund and help Amy Ryan reach her fundraising goal, please visit her crowdrise page at: https://www.crowdrise.com/davidoritzchildrensfundboston2017/fundraiser/amyryan11.