Hudson NH Boston Marathon Runner (Denied Finish) Requests Community's Support

On 15 April 2013, someone stole many people’s lives, their sense of self, innocence and many dreams! This is the last photo that my wife Cheryl took of me on the 2013 Boston Marathon course. Little did I know (or anyone) that one hour and 20 minutes later the lives (and dreams) of so many would be shattered.

I am now 48+ hours removed from the events and am still in a state of semi-shock. I had told my family that I was shooting for a 3 p.m. finish if everything went well during my run that day. It didn’t and I had trouble on the infamous hills of Boston’s marathon course.

When I came running down Commonwealth Avenue to Mass Avenue (approx 25.7mi and 0.5mi to go) I was stopped by the mass of runners and people on the street yelling, “Stop running a bomb has gone off at the finish line.” My first thought was my family – Cheryl (wife), Brie (daughter), Mollie (3-yr-old granddaughter), Carol (mother-in-law) and Chuck (our friend) – Oh My God A Bomb! I had no idea the magnitude of “a bomb.” I just knew that Cheryl had told me (at 17.2 mile mark) that she was getting as close to the finish line as possible – they were approx 500 feet from the 2^nd explosion and working their way through the crowd to get closer – when the explosions occurred.

I arrived at Commonwealth and Mass Avenues later in time from this explosion but when I tried to call I got no connection or text going through in the area – I was totally panicked for approx 20 minutess trying to call/text and not getting anything. I got Cheryl’s (time stamped - 3:02pm) phone call (about 1 hour after I had arrived on Commonwealth) that there were explosions and they were running toward the Capitol Grille at the other end of the Hynes Convention Center but I didn’t know it at the time. My first communication received was a text from my daughter that they were ok! This was 20 minutes of pure agony and anguish for me. The most beautiful communication I’ve ever received!

My emotions have been all over the roadmap since that time – concern/despair at the innocent lives lost, the carnage to people’s bodies/lives, the destruction of so many people’s dreams to run the world’s most famous marathon – Boston and the loss of innocence for all involved, my own dream of finishing this race and most importantly to me – the well-being of the people who mean the most to me and how close to disaster they came.

I chose to run the 2013 Boston Marathon for many reasons – my health, this vision created from my work’s health program (Vitality), to inspire my wife, daughters, grandchildren and others that would come after me in my family – that they too, could strive for something that they might think out of their own reach!

I also chose to run the 2013 Boston Marathon to raise funds for the Boston Children’s Hospital – the hospital that took care of my own daughter’s hip surgeries.  Through this journey I’ve gotten to know the members of my running team at Boston Children’s Hospital – Miles for Miracles and I’ve met so many patients and their families that have been helped by this great medical institution in a time of great need. Our long runs over the Boston Marathon course were punctuated with numerous dedications from those very patients and families who came onto the course to handout water and Gatorade as we trained up in our attempt to run this fabled marathon. Those memories are seared in my consciousness!

Some crazy individuals (or terrorists) stole very much from our hearts, souls and minds on 15 April - including me.

I didn’t get to “finish” and that was the goal I set out one year ago – when I wrote down my “Vitality vision statement.”

But I do have another mission to “finish” – that’s complete my fundraising for Boston Children’s Hospital which helped so many of the children that were maimed and injured from this tragedy.

I NEED YOUR HELP  – to do A Good Thing for Others Affected by this Tragedy!

I am still fundraising through my page at Boston Children’s Hospital - Miles for Miracles (milesformiracles.org/boston - and enter my name in the search bar).

I’m also running a 2013 Links for Boston Children’s Hospital Golf Tournament on Saturday,  11 May 2013 (at the Amherst Country Club) and I’m reaching out to all that want to do something “good” during such devastation and carnage – helping Boston Children’s Hospital who supported victims of this tragedy is truly a “good thing.” You can join/signup/sponsor this golf tournament at forbostonchildrens.dojiggy.com. Please forward to others even if you aren’t a golfer (or someone in your family or friends).

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims, their families and those who were touched by this event in any way!

My fundraising page quote –  “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

Thank you all for your kind words, support for me, my family and the support for the Boston Children’s Hospital!