Prime North Picks Charities Close to Home for 2016 Boston Marathon Fundraising

North Hampton, NH – On April 18, the 120th Boston Marathon will kick off with more than 30,000 participants running the 26.2-mile route through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley, Natick, Brookline, Newton and Boston. On behalf of the New England Acura Dealers Association (NEADA), the official automotive sponsor of the 2016 Boston Marathon, Prime Acura North provided invitational entries to runners who will support community fundraising. As part of the sponsorship, the NEADA will also provide the official pace cars leading the race, as well as a 2017 NSX and other Acuras to showcase along the racecourse.

As a member of the NEADA, Prime Acura North has been an active supporter of the Boston community. Since 2012, the NEADA has served as a top-level sponsor at all signature fundraisers at Boston Children’s Hospital. Since January 2015, the association extended their initial November 2012 pledge of $500,000 over two years to one million dollars over four years for Boston Children's Hospital. To meet the $1 million dollar pledge by the end of November 2016, the NEADA supports fundraising campaigns and events including the Boston Children’s Hospital Miles for Miracles 2016 Boston Marathon team. The Boston Children’s Hospital and the Boston Marathon have long been partners, with the hospital’s Miles for Miracles Team joining the Boston Marathon Official Charity Program in 1996, and raising $21.4 million since.

Prime Acura North invited Exeter-local Karin Tenney-Helfrich, 43, to support Boston Children’s Hospital Miles for Miracles 2016 Boston Marathon team.

Furthering the NEADA’s support of Boston Children’s Hospital, General Manager of Prime Acura North Anthony Delvento wanted to ensure that his invitational entries helped the hospital raise additional funds. As such, Prime Acura North invited Exeter-local Karin Tenney-Helfrich, 43, to support Boston Children’s Hospital Miles for Miracles 2016 Boston Marathon team. This will be Karin’s first time at the Boston Marathon after running her very first marathon in Washington, D.C. in 2014.

“Participating in the Boston Marathon has been a pipe dream for me for almost as long as I can remember,” said Karin as she recalled witnessing the race for the first time while visiting her grandparents when a child. “[It] just happened to be the weekend after Patriots’ Day and I remember seeing the photos in the Boston Globe and thinking how cool it was that an entire city would shut down for a road race and people from all over the world would come to run 26.2 miles.”

Trevor Stanco, 28, is also taking up the torch all the way from his home in Norwalk, Connecticut. He knew he needed to be the runner to lead the charge to raise funds for National Women’s Hockey League player and Boston local Denna Laing, who suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury at the Outdoor Women’s Classic.

“Boston is a vibrant, patriotic city; I am psyched to experience 26.2 miles of its unique charm to the best of my ability. I truly look forward to the challenge and prestige of Boston’s signature event! With the Lake Placid Ironman and a New York Marathon, as well as an English Channel relay and an Alcatraz swim for cancer under my belt, I am ready for this challenge. I also look forward to being part of the good will and energy of this amazing event. If together we can improve the care and quality of [Laing’s] life, it will be a powerful goal—a win-win for all,” Trevor pledged.

Trevor Stanco, 28, from Norwalk, Connecticut will be running for National Women’s Hockey League player and Boston-local Denna Laing, who suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury at the Outdoor Women’s Classic.

Marathon weekend will be huge for not only the Boston community, but also Prime Acura North. The New Hampshire-based store hopes to raise significant funds for both Boston Children’s Hospital and Denna Laing as well are bring awareness to these two worthy causes.

If you would like to support Karin, the funds raised go to support the Children’s Fund. This is an unrestricted fund that enables Boston Children’s to continue to provide high quality care, lead innovative efforts to research and the discovery of cures, educate the next generation of leaders in pediatrics, and care for the children and families in our local community.

Support for Trevor raises funds for local hockey player Denna Laing, in the hopes of moving her from the Intensive Care Unit to a rehabilitation center for recovery. To contribute to Deena’s recovery and support Trevor, please send your contribution to The Denna Laing Fund, Ropes & Gray, 800 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02199. Please include in the memo “Trevor Stanco – Boston Marathon.”

About the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.’s Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs, including high performance athletes and running club. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. More than 60,000 runners will participate in B.A.A. events in 2015. For more information on the B.A.A., please visitwww.baa.org.

About the Boston Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, Boston Children’s Hospital has been ranked as one of the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for the past 21 years. Boston Children’s is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest provider of health care to Massachusetts children. In addition to 395 pediatric and adolescent inpatient beds and 228 outpatient programs, Boston Children’s houses the world’s largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries benefit both children and adults. Funds raised through the B.A.A Boston Marathon Charity Program help keep Boston Children’s Hospital in the forefront of pediatric care, research, training and community service, ensuring the best care available to all children.

About the New England Acura Dealers Association
The New England Acura Dealers Association consists of seven dealerships throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire: Acura of Auburn, Acura of Boston, Acura of Peabody, Herb Connolly Acura, Prime Acura, Prime Acura North and Sunnyside Acura. Please see neacuradealers.com for more information.