Neighbor News
Samaritans Run Boston Marathon To Help Save Lives
Roslindale resident to take on Heartbreak Hill in memory of his friend
(Boston, MA) – Ray Neves, resident of Roslindale, MA, will run in the 120th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, 2016. By running, Ray will help Samaritans raise needed funds to support suicide prevention programs.
Neves will be running alongside thirteen other Samaritans Marathon Team runners with the goal of raising hope and awareness for suicide prevention. He will be running in memory his good friend and roommate, Christian, who lost his life to suicide in 2005. Neves has been running the annual Samaritans 5K in memory as a member of Christian’s team and this is the second time that he will be running the Boston Marathon on behalf of Samaritans.
“Christian was my best friend. We met in 1994 and got really close and eventually became roommates. When Christian got laid off, things got tough.” says Neves. “That day replays in my mind like a horror movie. I was at a Red Sox game with our other roommate, Melissa. When we got home – that was it. Christian had taken his own life. It was devastating.”
Each year John Hancock donates guaranteed entries to select nonprofits, which use these entries to recruit individual runners to raise money for their cause. Last year, John Hancock nonprofit runners raised more than $10 million for over 140 different local organizations. For over 30 years John Hancock has been the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon®. The Company’s continued support of the Boston Athletic Association, which has directed the race since 1897, ensures that the race will continue to be a world class event and an important facet of Boston’s culture and heritage.
“Samaritans is a home that welcomes you with open arms, a warm embrace, a smile and a listening ear.” continues Neves. “I know Samaritans has been there for so many – for Christian’s family and others who have lost a love one to suicide. They are there for those struggling with isolation and despair. I wish Christian had known about Samaritans’ Crisis Helpline. I wish he’d known that he could call and someone would listen to him, where he could talk about how he was doing, where he would be befriended.”
This is the ninth consecutive year that Samaritans, a suicide prevention organization serving the Greater Boston and Metro West communities has received bib numbers for their Marathon Team. The donation was made to help Samaritans generate awareness about the issue of suicide, educate the public about suicide prevention, and raise much-needed funds.
“We are so grateful to have received marathon numbers through John Hancock,” said Steve Mongeau, Executive Director of Samaritans. “The stigma and misinformation that surrounds the discussion of suicide and suicide prevention is an unfortunate reality. By educating the public about this important issue while raising funds to support Samaritans’ programs, our marathon runners are performing a tremendous service to our organization and the community at large. They are helping to save lives.”
In addition to Neves, thirteen other runners have joined Samaritans Team through the John Hancock Marathon Program and the Boston Athletic Association: Andrea Mendes (Andover, MA), David Thompson (Eden Prairie, MN), Davia Moore (Beverly, MA), David Johnson (Milton, MA), Jeffrey Price (Cambridge, MA), Jena Roma (Peabody, MA), Kim Gagnon (Norwell, MA), Kristina Conroy (Boston, MA), Michael DuBose (The Woodlands, TX), Michael Monestime (Cambridge, MA), Sathya Silva (Cambridge, MA), Steven Yearwood (Los Angeles, CA), Veronica Reichardt (Worcester, MA),
To learn more or make a donation towards Ray’s goal of $1,000, visit https://www.crowdrise.com/SamaritansBoston2016/fundraiser/rayneves
More about Samaritans
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Over the past 42 years, Samaritans, Inc. volunteers have answered more than 2.5 million phone calls. The agency has trained more than 4,500 volunteers and instructed more than 100,000 individuals through its Community Education and Outreach Program and has supported over 10,000 individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide.
For more information on Samaritans visit www.samaritanshope.org or call the business office at 617-536-2460.
Samaritans Statewide Toll Free Helpline: 877-870-HOPE (4673), call or text 24/7 for free, confidential emotional support.