Paralyzed Veterans of America is accepting runners to join its 40th Marine Corps Marathon team on October 25 in Arlington. The charity, headquartered in DC, aims to raise awareness, and $20,000, for veteran programs through its Racing to Empower Veterans—REVolution—initiative.
The MCM lottery is over, but by pairing with a charity, runners can still participate. Paralyzed Veterans will let anyone who raises at least $500 run the MCM, and is accepting registration until August 25.
“We are accepting any and everybody,” said Julia Walker, program manager for Paralyzed Veterans of America. “They can walk it. They can be a virtual walker. They can volunteer.”
If you participate, you’ll get access to expert training programs, including nutrition tips from dietitian Anna LaBarre. You’ll also receive REVolution swag, and a chance to mingle with Paralyzed Veterans’ members, families, and caregivers after the race.
The REVolution program launched this year, as a separate initiative for athletes without disabilities to advocate and fundraise for paralyzed veterans’ programs.
“We also have a Paralyzed Veterans Racing Team for handcycling,” Walker said, adding that several PVR team members will be participating in the MCM this year.
Walker encourages participants to transcend the $500 minimum, saying “our donors usually exceed that fundraising goal. It’s there as a guideline.” Registration fees do apply to that fundraising minimum.
Paralyzed Veterans hopes to raise over $40,000 total through both the Air Force Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon. The organization has raised nearly $5,000 so far.
“We fight for all veterans with disabilities,” said Walker. “Thanks to the generous support of our donors, all services we offer to our veterans are free of charge.” Walker names obtaining health care and benefits through the Veterans Affairs office, Operation PAVE, and investing in new treatments for spinal cord injury as key objectives for the organization.
For more information on pairing with Paralyzed Veterans in the Marine Corps Marathon, visit www.pva.org/revolution, or visit www.marinemarathon.com to view the full list of charities you can contribute to.
