Allentown, PA – February 23, 2012 – Thanks to the dedicated support and partnership of the Lehigh Valley Road Runners (LVRR), HCM Foundation has successfully launched its 2012 fundraising campaign. Courtesy of LVRR Race Directors Chris Garges and Carly Patterson, HCM Foundation was named charity race partner, receiving 10 entries into the 11th annual LVRR Superbowl 10k race, held in the Lehigh Valley Parkway on Sunday, February 6, 2012. Although the charity entry racers were only asked to raise $125 each, the 10 racers instead raised a powerful $3,000 for HCM Foundation. The Superbowl 10k had 489 finishers, ranging in age from 11 to 66. Information and event photos can be found on the LVRR’s website: https://lvrr.org.
HCM Founder and President, Mike Marsteller, expressed his gratitude, stating “I’m touched by LVRR’s support because we are both local organizations with different missions, but a common bond of making our community a better place.” And that these organizations clearly do. To illustrate the full circle impact, it was a mere day after the Superbowl 10k race that HCM Foundation was approached with its next service request from the social work department at Fox Chase Cancer Center—a request the organization could accommodate thanks to the proceeds of this race. A local woman was about to be scheduled for her radiation treatments, lasting 5-6 weeks. Living in a nursing home, she couldn’t afford transportation to and from the hospital. HCM Foundation has stepped up to cover the cost of a shuttle service to ensure that she can receive life-saving treatment.
In addition to charity partner opportunities, HCM Foundation raises the majority of its program and service budget from the innovative “Team Challenge” philosophy. The HCM Team is a group of athletes—from an array of backgrounds and fitness levels—who collectively support cancer patients, survivors, and their families by translating their commitment to training and racing into direct fundraising for HCM Foundation. Each member is asked to raise a minimum of $2,500 over the course of the year through donations in support of their racing efforts, wrap-around fundraising events, in- kind goods and services and other creative means. Since the team’s inception in mid-2010, members have collectively raised more than $30,000 to strengthen the vital mission of HCM Foundation, assisting dozens of local families in battling the woes of cancer. For more information on the HCM Team Challenge, please visit: http://hcmfoundation.org.
HCM Foundation is a non-profit organization that builds meaningful, comforting, and long-lasting relationships that support families who are significantly impacted by cancer. When cancer enters into the life of one person, it enters into the lives of their entire network of family and friends— HCM Foundation is the compassionate link within the community that keeps this network together, motivated, and strong. The main mission of the Lehigh Valley Road Runners is to promote youth running in the Lehigh Valley. The Road Runners also strive to develop and promote distance running and racing in the greater Lehigh Valley area, to provide information and social activities, and to enhance training opportunities in a supportive atmosphere for all runners of all abilities. United, these organizations change lives…one race, runner, and cancer patient at a time.