By having 1,000 people come together to donate $5 for Primary Progressive Aphasia Research. With less than 20 days to go to the Great Wall of China Marathon, I am only $5,000 from my goal of $50,000, 100% of which will go to research for PPA.
With your $5 donation to Run4Papa, you can turn my 5K into $5K! That’s one cup of coffee at your local Starbucks.
I will host five 5K RUN/WALKS every other day around some of Queen City’s most recognizable areas in Charlotte until the remaining $5K has been raised. ANYONE and EVERYONE-RUNNERS, WALKERS, KIDS, PETS- are welcome to participate “Forrest Gump Style” (show up and run) to help raise awareness for THE CAUSE. The more the merrier!
Schedule: Rain or Shine. No Cost. Just Show up!
Wednesday May 2th, 6:30PM – Little Sugar Creek GreenwayThe Greenway, 1908 East Blvd, Start of Route(Run/Walk the Greenway)
Friday May 4th, 6:30PM– Freedom Park by the bridge surrounding the water (Run/Walk around the water and through the trails in the park)
Sunday May 6th, 2:00PM– Southpark Mall in front of the amphitheater near Dick’s Sporting Goods (Run/Walk around the outside of the mall – loads of foot traffic!)
Tuesday May 8th, 6:30PM – Corner of S. Tryon and Trade St. (Run/Walk up and down S. Tryon for 5K creating a massive buzz 2nd-7th street, up one side back the other, should be unreal!)
Thursday May 10th, 6:30PM – White Water Center by the Cafe (Run/Walk through the trails and then having drinks outside afterwards)
With awareness comes donations, with donations comes research, with research comes treatment, and with treatment comes a cure. -Jason F. Boschan
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Ever run a half marathon intentionally in a torrential down pour?
The transmission failed. Literally. While riding in a shuttle from work to the airport, the transmission failed roughly 3 miles away; my plane was scheduled to take off 90 minutes later. Friday the 13th…coincidence? The driver estimated the back-up shuttle would take at least 20-30 minutes to arrive, and instinctively, I asked him to open the back door. He said “where are you going?” I opened my bag, put on on my running shoes, looked him square in the eye and said “I am running for Papa!”
With my roller carry-on extended firmly in my left and my backpack comfortably resting on my shoulders, I ran in jeans down Billy Graham Parkway with Charlotte Douglas airport in my sight. Half a mile later, I was picked up by another shuttle and dropped off with an hour to spare. Fortunately, there was no one in the TSA screening line. Precisely, no one. Friday the 13th…coincidence? “Please let the flight take off and land with no problems and minimal turbulence!”
Well, we landed (after seeing an unusual amount of nervousness on the faces of the flight attendants). I was greeted at DFW airport by my friends Derek, Shana and Dan. Texas was the 9th state visited on this journey; it always helps to have great friends scattered across the U.S. who are extremely hospitable hosts making this weekend another seamless experience. Late Saturday night, I checked the weather for tomorrow’s race: severe Thunderstorms from 6AM-11AM with a disclaimer on the Big D website “Runners may run at their own risk.”
My response: “I don’t recall my Papa ever canceling an appointment with a sick child due to bad weather conditions.”
Derek and Shana dropped me at the state fairgrounds so I could film some pre-race commentary (in the rain). Through the suggestions of my followers, I had compiled a 50 song playlist for the Big D race, but due to the awful weather ahead, I left the music at home. After stretching and watching the clouds darken the skyline, this race quickly became another challenge that would test my training as well as my willpower. I believe every race is 80% mental and 20% physical. Although elements always vary, when my mind is “zoned-in” on completing a race, my mental conviction eliminates any hovering doubt or fear.
Like every race beforehand, the knots in my stomach intensified like two kids playing dodge ball in a confined space. Thankfully, both kids were eliminated the second I crossed the starting line. The BIG D starts and finishes at the historic grounds of the State Fair near the Cotton Bowl. The fairground’s stunning landscape and art deco architecture set the mood of the day despite the impending weather.
After leaving the State fairgrounds, runners headed north and soon reached the impressive neighborhoods that surround White Rock Lake – often described as the crown jewel of central Dallas. For the first 5 miles, the winds were gaining momentum as a slight drizzle trickled down. Growing up in Michigan and surrounded by lakes, I surveyed the lake’s border and knew a torrential thunderstorm was quickly approaching the Dallas area.
The route headed into a part of the course with tree-lined parks to one side and gorgeous homes on the other. As I crossed Mile 6 and grabbed a Gatorade from a water station, the clouds decided it was time to let all their pipes burst at once. Soaked head-to-toe by the onslaught of rain hitting my body from seemingly all directions, I continued jogging uphill. I wasn’t even halfway and knew this was going to be a battle, one I eagerly awaited and would embrace!
At Mile 9, I saw Derek and Shana holding a sign reading “Go Jason! Run4Papa.com – I run for PPA!” Shortly thereafter, the hard rain was followed by thunder and occasional bolts of lightning. I never felt in immediate danger but running through puddle after puddle and being drenched was taking a mini toll on my body. My right calf cramped pretty badly and wouldn’t go away despite numerous stretching attempts. The word “quitting” doesn’t fall into my mental vocabulary so I ran/walked through the pain periodically glancing down at my hands where the words “Papa” (left) and “PPA” (right) were hand-written.
I continued filming portions of the race while getting emotional boosts on Miles 10, 11 and 12 as Derek and Shana managed to jump ahead for moral support. As runners continued to battle through the elements, we ran through Deep Ellum, the eclectic nightclub district returning to the finish line on the front steps of the historic Cotton Bowl.
Despite the 20 mph winds, down-pouring rain, periodic thunder and lightning, I completed the BIG D Half Marathon in 2:36:38! Oddly enough, I have never seen so many runners (including myself) limping, crouching down below their knees or just propped up against a wall. The Big D had thrown every element against racers attempting to conquer its landscape and our collective exhaustion was palpable on the faces of each finisher.
A Star Wars fan has completed a nine month marathon mission, walking across Australia dressed as a storm-trooper for charity. He has so far raised 100,000 dollars for the starlight foundation.
After his close friend died from a rare cancer, Matthew Loddy immediately raced into action.
The 46-year-old British businessman, who had no previous running experience, set out to complete 100 marathons, in 100 days in honor of his buddy Phil Latham who died from stomach cancer, NBC reports.
Three hospital stints and 2,620 miles later, Loddy completed his journey on Sunday when he crossed the finish line in London.
“Hopefully, he’s up there looking down thinking, it’s a good job done,” Loddy told NBC.
The father of two told the Daily Mail that the inspiration for his journey came from talks he had with Latham in the hospital.
When his friend’s health was improving, Loddy and Latham talked about participating in a charity walk for young cancer sufferers. But when Latham’s condition took a turn for the worse, Loddy made a promise to complete their mission –- and take it thousands of miles further.
“What’s going to happen with this sponsored walk? [I] I’ll have to do it myself,” Loddy joked to his friend before he passed away, according to the news outlet. “Then I changed it to 100 marathons in 100 days finishing in England.’”
Loddy started his journey in Portugal and made his way through Spain and France, NBC reports. In addition to clocking in 2,620 miles, Loddy hopes to raise 100,000 pounds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that aims to improve the quality of life for young people battling cancer and St Francis Hospice in Berkhamsted, where Latham was treated before he died in 2010 at age 36, according to Loddy’s fundraising site.
“I’m immensely proud of Matthew’s commitment and absolute guts,” Latham’s widow, Karen, told the Daily Mail. “Phil would be so proud of what Matthew is doing not only in his name but in that of our daughters Holly and Evie.”
At 3:09:33, according to his fundraising site, Loddy’s final marathon of the tour was his fastest yet.
Learn how you can help Loddy complete the charity portion of his mission here
The world premiere for Alive Inside will be April 18th at the Rubin Museum in New York City.
A Message from the Filmmaker:
When I saw what Dan was doing, I was so moved I spent over a year following him. It has been a mind-blowing odyssey. No project I have ever worked on has changed me as much as this story. It is my hope that this film awakens people’s hearts and helps make it possible to bring music to those in nursing homes, people who don’t even know how deeply they need music’s gifts.
Music has great lessons to teach us about what it means to be human; I learned this from the sweet and vulnerable souls I met making this film.
One could say that Pat Summitt has forever changed the game of College Basketball…..but now Summitt, who has been at the helm of the Tennessee Lady Vols storied program, has been forced to step-down. Summitt, just 59 years old was diagnosed 8 months ago with early onset dementia/Alzheimer’s. Summitt coached her Lady Vols this season as best as she could, having good days and bad days with her team.
Pat made Tenneesse what it is today, winning 1,098 games, the most ever by an NCAA basketball coach in either the men’s or women’s game and of course her eight national championships, the most recent in 2008. When Pat assumed leadership of the program in 1974 she earned just $8,900 – talk about for love of the game.
With 30 days remaining and $44,000 contributed, I thank you for every dollar raised so far. WE NEED YOUR HELP to reach our goal of $50,000!As “Papa” has always selflessly and willingly offered his time and care to children over the past 50+ years, this is our opportunity to give back!
We want to take this opportunity to update you on the Run4Papa campaign to raise funds for Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) research. As you may know, I am running the Great Wall of China Marathon on behalf of his grandfather, Dr. Louis “Papa” Heyman, and EVERYONE who is battling PPA. PPA is a form of dementia wherein people lose the ability to communicate and comprehend language over time.
Over the past 300 days, I have been training and running races in 9 different states, from the sunset cliffs in San Diego to the mountains in Denver through our nation’s Capital and in water along the lakes of Michigan. All these roads are leading him to the Great Wall of China. He has run 5K’s, 8K’s, 10K’s, Half Marathons, Mud Runs, and even a Tower Race where he Hustled up the Hancock(climbing 94 Flights of stairs). Jason’s unorthodox training methods have logged him over 500 miles for THE CAUSE.
As a result of this extraordinary journey, I ran side-by-side with and has been endorsed by the most prolific American Marathoner in history, Bill Rodgers, 4-time winner of the NYC and Boston Marathons. He has partnered with the #1 PPA research faciilty in the world –Northwestern University’s Cognitive Neurolgy and Alzheimer’s Disease Center — and is supported by the man who first identified PPA, Dr. Marsel Mesulam.
This campaign has had a local, national and international impact on patients and families around the world. We have received over 1,000 individual contributions from California to Florida as well as from the UK to New Zealand. On top of that, sponsors continue to join Run4Papa in an ongoing effort to create awareness of this debilitating disease.
100% of ALL donations will go directly to fund research and are fully tax-deductible.
“I can probably say no one in the world has done so much to bring awareness to PPA research as you have done in the last 5 months.” – Kevin Connolly, Northwestern CNADC employee, Chicago, IL
We are flying out to the great state of TEXAS this weekend to run the BIG D Half Marathon in Dallas. This destination marks the 9th and final state Run4Papa will be visiting on this journey before heading out to the Great Wall of China Marathon in May!
This has been a unbelievable life-changing opportunity and we are greatly looking forward to running in what has been labeled “one of the most beautiful marathon courses you may ever run.”
And as we all know, EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS!
