The Marathon ProjectTM is in Full Swing for 2011
The Marathon Project kicked off 2011 with a strong start. With locations in the Webutuck, Beacon and Newburgh School Districts, as well as the Children's Home of Poughkeepsie, over 60 kids are off and running on a 30 week training program to prepare for Hartford.
Thanks to the generosity of the MHRRC, 23 students participated in the McDonald/Cruisie race on June 4th, with serveral bringing home awards! Congratulations to all who participated and a job well done by all! Next up...Treetops to Rooftops 5K Saturday, June 18th. Look for the Marathon Project Tee shirts and be sure to cheer us on!!
With the ultimate goal of bringing the Marathon Project to the ING Hartford Marathon on October 15, 2011 we are doing everything possible to raise the funds necessary to bring these very deserving kids to reach their ultimate goal of the marathon/half marathon or relay style marathon. Therefore, we are asking the community to stay tuned for upcoming Marathon Project fundraisers and events to support our mission. Events and information will be posted as it becomes available.
For information on mentoring or donating to the Marathon Project, please contact Samara Kelly at (845) 765-8301 ext 101 or Shannon Lecomte at ext 100.
The Marathon ProjectTM 2010
Sponsored by the Council on Addiction Prevention and Education of Dutchess County, winner of the 2008 Best of the Hudson Valley award for Best Lifeline for At-Risk Kids.
Marathon Project Headed to Hartford! (Thank you donors!)
Thanks to our main funders, the Dyson Foundation and the Dutchess County Youth Bureau, along with the generosity of businesses like Rhinebeck Savings and other private donors, the Marathon Project kids will be able to reach their ultimate goal, running at the Hartford Marathon this year. The Inaugural Marathon Project kids have not only been training hard for the race, but they have also taken on some of the fundraising responsibilities to make the Hartford trip a reality.
Besides helping sell raffle tickets for the Inaugural Marathon Project Field Day, the kids put on their own Car Wash fundraiser in Webutuck on August 28, both of which were successful fundraisers. The Marathon Project was also recently awarded a generous grant from the Berkshire Taconic Foundation, and thanks to CAPE Board Member Pat Usifer, CAPE’s first crack at a Comedy Show was a side-splitting success.
Another extremely generous donor, and the most critical to our physical preparation for the Hartford Marathon, is the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club, who allow all Marathon Project kids and mentors to participate in MHRRC races for FREE! Throughout the year, MHRRC in-kind donations will exceed $2500 dollars, an astoundingly generous gift that really is the fiber of the program.
The Marathon Project, on behalf of CAPE, would like to thank the community for their outstanding generosity this year. Thanks to you, the Marathon Project is still the best lifeline for at-risk youth in the Hudson Valley.
In the next few weeks, things will only get busier. In between training and our Dutchess County Fair outing on August 25th, the Marathon Project and CAPE will be hosting an All-Star Comedy Fundraiser to benefit the Marathon Project on Saturday, August 14th at the Elks Lodge on 29 Overocker Road in Poughkeepsie. Tickets are $20. More info can be found at http://capedc.org/MarathonProject1.htm.
June 29, 2010-Support the Marathon Project and Win 2 Roundtrip Airfare from JetBlue!
The Marathon Project is selling raffle tickets to benefit our trip to the Hartford Marathon. The grand prize is two tickets to anywhere in the USA that you'd like, from JETBLUE! There are many other great prizes from Dunkin' Donuts, T.G.I. Friday's, Modell's, and more. Raffle tickets are $5 each, 3 for $10, and 8 for $25. Please call Mike at (914)475-9355 if you'd like a chance to win!
June 9, 2010-This weekend, the Marathon Project will be at the Treetops to Rooftops 5K over the longest walking bridge in the world, the Walkway over the Hudson! The kids are excited to follow up a successful Bill Crusie/Joseph McDonald 5K/10K where SEVEN mentors and students placed in their age group.
About the Marathon Project
The Marathon Project is an after-school long distance running program that aims to reduce risk factors such as:
· childhood obesity
· gang involvement
· school drop out
· substance abuse
Activities include training sessions, races, team-building activities, and other meetings between April and November. Training sessions are two or three times a week and other activities are twice a month (on average).
The Marathon Project is a zero-cost program. We can provide this program thanks to our primary funder, the Dyson Foundation. This program is also funded in part by NYS OCFS and the Dutchess County Youth Bureau, and other donors.
The Marathon Project provides opportunities for students to set and achieve goals, explore avenues for character development, improve health, and build positive student/adult relationships through mentoring.
Here are some quick facts about the Marathon Project:
- The Marathon Project has been shown to build character assets like goal-setting, confidence, perseverance, and accountability, among others.
- We have modeled our program after Students Run LA (srla.org), an evidence-based program in Los Angeles, California that has proven that long-distance training can generate a diverse array of benefits in urban youth.
- The Marathon Project was awarded the “Best of the Hudson Valley” Award in its second year, 2008, for the “Best Lifeline for At-Risk Kids.”
- It is also a tremendous way for adult runners in the community, novice to expert, to help kids while helping themselves. The health and fitness benefits for a mentor keep mentors coming back year after year.
For more information about the Marathon Project, please call Mike Carozza at (845)471- 0194 or e-mail at mcarozza@capedc.org.
August 3, 2010-Our Inaugural Field Day was a huge success for the Marathon Project, raising over $5000 dollars for our end of the year trip to the Hartford Marathon.