Dream Big! Boston Marathon Team Members Raise Over $225,000 to Help Provide Girls From Low-Income Situations With the Items and Fees Needed for Them to Participate in Sports and Physical Activities

Newton, MA, April 14, 2017 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​Every day a girl in need steps on the playing field, court or track without the proper footwear, equipment, sports attire or training. Imagine trying to run the Boston Marathon® without the proper foot wear, clothing or preparation. On April 17th the Dream Big! Marathon Team, made up of twenty four runners from around the country, will take to the start line of the Boston Marathon® to help breakdown the economic barrier that currently prevents thousands of girls from participating in sports and physical activities.

April 17th marks the 121st running of the Boston Marathon and the 50^th Anniversary of Katherine Switzer being the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon® . This event attracts elite marathoners from around the world. But behind the amazing world-class marathoners runs another group of very special, caring and inspirational athletes, the charity runners and the Dream Big! Marathon Team. Dream Big! was selected for a fifth year in a row as a Boston Marathon® Official Charity Partner and the team is made up of twenty four inspirational athletes who have already raised over $225,000 for Dream Big! and the over 7000 female athletes in economically disadvantaged communities that Dream Big! programs will impact this year; the funds raised will help to provide thousands of girls from low-income situations with the equipment, uniforms, athletic footwear, sports attire, training and program fees needed for them to participate in sports and physical activities that contribute to their health, education and overall well-being.

Dream Big! Marathon Team Members Include:

1.  Ellen Banthin, Natick, MA
2.  Molly Carbon, Bellingham, MA
3.  Kelly Dagdigian, Charlestown, MA
4.  Kat Egizi, Boston, MA
5. Jim Fallon, Andover, MA
6.  Haley Florsheim, Milwaukee, WI
7.  Rick Gagnon, Danvers, MA
8.  Becca Hazlett, Cambridge, MA
9.  Jessica Henck, Boston, MA
10.  Barbara Herbst, Watertown, MA
11.  Mariam Ismail, Sharon, MA
12.  Tracy Johnson, Owings Mills, MD
13.  Tom Kelley, Walnut Creek, CA
14.  Samantha Knight, Danvers, MA
15.  Laura Lang, Boston, MA
16.  Ann Marie Leitao, Quincy, MA
17.  Molly Lynch, New Haven, CT
18.  Ana Medina Pilar, Mattapan, MA
19.  Rebecca Ruehlman, Boston, MA
20.  Joy Sieklucki, Avon, CT
21.  Deb Hammond Slason, Goffstown, NH
22.  George Stevens, Newton, MA
23.  Elizabeth Warner, Cambridge, MA
24.  Mark Williamson, Weston, MA

“Participation in sports gives girls the strength, self-esteem and tools they need to live healthy, active and successful lives,” Linda Driscoll, Founder, President & CEO, said. Unfortunately, poverty can severely limit a young girl’s involvement in physical activity and sports, most of which have associated costs including program and training fees or the cost of equipment, uniforms and athletic footwear. We are so very grateful to the Boston Athletic Association for selecting Dream Big! as a Boston Marathon® Official Charity partner for the fifth straight year; this opportunity is extremely significant for a young organization such as Dream Big! as it allows us to bring the organization to a whole new level. In just seven years Dream Big! equipment grants and program scholarships have impacted over 30,000 girls and young women, and this could not have been done without the over $800,000 in funds raised by the Dream Big! Marathon Team members since 2013,” says Driscoll.

The Dream Big! Marathon Team is made up of an inspirational group of amazing individuals, from a former Dream Big! student athlete, college student athletes, a college professor, college staff and college coaches to a professional female motorcycle racer, a professor, a reverend, several business and community leaders, students, teachers and financial managers; all of whom understand the importance of the on and off the field benefits of giving girls from economically disadvantaged communities the opportunities they deserve to participate in a sport or physical activity that will impact their lives.

Founded in 2010, Dream Big!’s mission is to help to empower girls in underserved communities through sports and physical activities. The Massachusetts-based 501c3 charitable organization was launched in 2010 to ensure that all girls, regardless of socio-economic background, have the equipment, uniforms, athletic footwear, program fees, training expenses, sports camp and college showcase scholarships and opportunities they need to participate in sports and physical activities that contribute to their health, education and overall well-being. In just seven, Dream Big! has already had a direct, positive impact on more than 30,00 girls through equipment grants, program scholarships, sports clinics and the Dream Big! Leadership Conferences.

For more on the Dream Big! runners or to donate, go to https://www.crowdrise.com/dreambigboston2017/fundraiser/dreambigusa

Gor more information on Dream Big! please visit www.dream-big.org. Please ‘Like’ our Facebook page

Press Contact: Linda Driscoll, Dream Big! President & CEO
Cell: 617-458-1732
[email protected]

Source: Dream Big!