Volunteer of the Month
May 2011
It takes a lot to run a 5k; just ask our Beach Respite runners. It takes a little more to run a 6k; just ask our Port to Fort runners. And it takes quite a lot more to run a half marathon; just ask the team of fifteen who crossed the finish line of the Ocean City Half Marathon on behalf of Believe In Tomorrow.
Laura Bren, a native of Berlin, Maryland, was already familiar with the foundation, having stayed at the Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House at Johns Hopkins in 2004 when her son had surgery for a congenital heart defect. Though she had begun training independently for the race, she was struck with an idea during a meeting with Wayne Littleton, Program Coordinator for the Believe In Tomorrow House by the Sea: to run the race for Believe In Tomorrow!
With only eight weeks until race day, Laura set out to form a team. She persuaded family and friends to join her, saying, “It was about opening others to the possibility they could push themselves far beyond what they believed to be their physical limitation, and run, walk or crawl this 13.1 miles.” Their goal was to raise $1,000 per mile, for a total of $13,100, which would enable 13 families to enjoy a week at a Believe In Tomorrow beach respite property. What the group may have lacked in physical conditioning, they made up for with determination (and some caffeinated sport beans along the way).
Just eight weeks later, the fifteen-member team conquered the 13.1 mile race course in Ocean City, Maryland and surpassed their fundraising goal, raising a grand total of $17,220! A tremendous thank you to each and every one of you for your hard work, determination and achievement in Running to Get Kids to the Beach!