Archive for the ‘ING NYC Marathon’ Category

Congratulations to New Dad and Marathon Runner Michael Murrer

Monday, October 22nd, 2012

Back in his pre-parent days,  Michael Murrer said he saw his run for Team Catholic Charities NY in the NYC ING Marathon on November 4 as “the last good chance before stuff gets really crazy.”  Read more.

But as this new dad is learning, when it comes to babies and timing, babies call the shots.

His little brown-haired girl, Rosemary Ann Murrer, greeted him and his wife, Diana, on Friday, October 5 at 6:19 a.m.  She was born at NYU Langone Medical Center and weighed in at a healthy 7 pounds 9 ounces.

Murrer says that he is thrilled, dazed and, yes, a little sleep deprived.

None-the-less, he still plans to run the marathon.  He added, however, “I may not break any records.”

Want to learn more about how this new dad does on his marathon run?

Please click here to support Michael Murrer’s fundraising goal for Catholic Charities and cheer him on.

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Why this Future Dad is Running the NYC ING Marathon

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

Michael Murrer’s reasons for running for Team Catholic Charities NY in the NYC ING Marathon on November 4 are many.  First, he says, Catholic Charities is a family affair; his father, Martin Murrer, serves on this nonprofit agency’s board. Next, he has completed a number of 5 and 10ks and has always wanted to run the Big One back here in the Big Apple. Then, there’s the inspiration of being a native New Yorker looking for a way to give back.

But, most of all, he says, “this is the last good chance before stuff gets really crazy.”

Michael, 28, and his wife, Diana, are expecting the birth of their first baby, a girl, at the end of October.

“I always had running the New York marathon in the back of my mind,” Michael says.  “With the baby coming, I realized I better do it now.”

Meanwhile, he said, running the marathon while raising money for Catholic Charities offered an opportunity too good to pass up.  Similar to his father, Michael volunteers for Catholic Charities and serves on its Junior Board for young adults.

“After meeting with (Catholic Charities Executive Director) Msgr. Sullivan, going to Junior Board meetings, and seeing Cardinal Dolan speak at the Catholic Charities gala, I felt inspired, excited and knew that this is something I could get passionate about,” he says.

So now Michael runs one-to-two hours nearly every day, jogging along the East River or the reservoir in Central Park to train for the 26.2 mile marathon.  His workout began with a five-to-seven mile run in the early morning hours of April and May. From there, he worked up to 14-mile runs.  He plans, he says, to reach 20-plus miles by the end of this month.

Michael played football and lacrosse at Bronxville High School in Westchester County, graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in finance in 2007, and now works as an Associate at Jefferies Investment Banking in Manhattan.

When he tells friends and coworkers that he is running for Team Catholic Charities they pay attention, he says.  “Everyone in the course of their life catches a couple of bad breaks and you need organizations like Catholic Charities to get you through them.”

Support Michael Murrer’s fundraising goal for Catholic Charities and cheer him on as he trains for the 2012 ING NYC Marathon.

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I am Running for Team Catholic CharitiesNY – And I am Running for Jack, My Son with Autism

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

By Michele Lawton

Yesterday, I ran 19 miles in 85 degree heat on a training run for the NYC ING Marathon on November 4. Half way through the run, when the ache and fatigue started to set in, and I was soaked to the skin with sweat, I thought to myself “Why am I doing this?” Then, as always, I smiled to myself and thought, “Because it is for Jack.”

Jack is my 22 year old son and he is severely affected with autism. As a young child, he had no eye contact and no receptive or expressive language. He flapped his hands, screeched, ran in circles and had tantrums.  He had no interest in his siblings. A simple trip to the grocery store was a nightmare. As he grew, he began to have self- injurious behaviors and other behavior challenges. He hit himself in the head and hit his head on objects. There was no school or program which could help Jack at the time. No doctors had any answers. No local educators had any answers.

At the age of 7, Jack broke a window in our kitchen with his head. His behavior challenges and needs became so overwhelming, that we had to find a residential program where he could safely learn and thrive. Fortunately, we found The New England Center for Children (NECC) in Massachusetts. There he has learned to use a voice box to communicate, he is now happy and social, his eyes light up when he sees his family, he has learned independent living skills, enjoys leisure activities, and over his many years there his rates of challenging behavior have come down significantly. NECC probably saved his life.

Then last year, at 21 years of age, Jack aged out of his placement at NECC.

And Jack was not the only adult in New York State who was aging out of a student residential program and needed adult residential placement. When Jack was diagnosed at three, the incidence of autism was 5 in 10,000. Now it is 1 in 88.

It is funny how God provides opportunities for you and it is your job to take those opportunities. So at a neighborhood dinner party we were telling our story about our need to create a group home for Jack to our good friends, Mary Ann and Ken Dempsey. Ken Dempsey, CFO of Catholic Charities of NY, said to us, “I think Catholic Charities would be interested in doing that, Michele. Let me get you in touch with the right people.”

I will never forget that first meeting with Catholic Charities of NY. My husband and I met with Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, CEO, and some of his staff. We explained our situation and explained that Jack would soon have nowhere to live because the state had little funding for residential placements in general, and Jack needed a specialized residential placement that offered the program, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)– a key to Jack’s learning success.  No such program existed in New York State at that time.

I will never forget what Monsignor Sullivan said to me that day – “You need help. We will help you.” I had never heard those words in 21 years.  And I soon learned that that is what Catholic Charities does every day for all people who need their help in all different capacities.  They help without condition, without qualification, and without exception.

So again why am I running the NYC ING Marathon this year?  Because I am on the Catholic Charities of NY inaugural team and Catholic Charities of NY has taken over for my son Jack where the New England Center for Children has left off. After 2 years of hard work, Cardinal McCloskey Community Services (CMCS) in Valhalla, NY, an umbrella agency under Catholic Charities of NY, has created, with the partnership of the four families of the residents, a residential program in Ossining, NY for Jack and 3 other autistic adults. They have worked diligently and tirelessly to create a program both at Day Habilitation and in their residential setting, which uses ABA as the teaching method for these adults. Now these adults have the opportunity to continue their journey in life to be the best that they can be.

I have run 3 marathons in my life to date. I will run another marathon on Sunday, November 4, 2012, for Catholic Charities and for Jack and for all autistic individuals everywhere. No matter how hard a training run is or how grueling a marathon experience, it will never be as hard a struggle as it is for my son Jack as he strives every day to perform his life tasks as independently as he can in our world. I will always run for Jack. Every day is a marathon for him.

 

I will never forget what Monsignor Sullivan said to me that day – “You need help. We will help you.”

Learn more about Team Catholic Charities NY

Support  Michele’s fundraising goal for Catholic Charities and cheer her on as she trains for the 2012 ING NYC Marathon.

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Posted in Agencies, Events, ING NYC Marathon, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »

“God Bless Ya”: Reflecting on the Privilege of Running the ING NYC Marathon

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Christine Keith, right, is ready to run the 2012 ING NYC Marathon alongside her friend and cancer survivor, left.

By Christine Keith

When you tell someone you’re planning to run a marathon, their reaction usually approximates one I heard today. It was from a doctor I was seeing to get the medical go-ahead to start my grueling training program for the 2012 ING New York City marathon. “God bless ya,” she said, and shook her head.

I understand that reaction well, because it’s one I was accustomed to giving friends who’ve told me they were going to take on the 26.2 mile run, a physical challenge I’ve always considered somewhere between extreme and insane. So what’s changed for me? Well, glad you asked.

1) I’ve gone half way. In February 2011, I went to an informational meeting at work hosted by Team in Training, a wonderful organization that trains people for an endurance event while they raise money for cancer research. Full disclosure: I only attended the meeting for the free pizza and had never run more than a few miles at a time. But I walked out signed up for my first half marathon, and after months of pushing myself physically and mentally, successfully ran 13.1 miles. It was among the hardest things I’ve ever done, and, when I crossed the finish line exhausted, I would’ve sworn to you I couldn’t run a single step farther. And on November 4th, it won’t be one step. It’ll be twice as many.

2) You can take the girl out of New York… I may have moved 900 miles away from New York last fall for a professional opportunity, but there were a few things I couldn’t fit in the U-Haul. Like the amazing friends I’ve accumulated since kindergarten who all live in Manhattan, my supportive family, and the energizing, fascinating, dynamic spirit of the City most notorious for its insomnia. While I lived there, I spent two years as the co-chair of the Catholic Charities Junior Board, so the ability to support its mission from afar by participating on its inaugural marathon team is one I welcome. On race day, it’ll be all those associations with my former home that propel me forward while I experience every part of it like I never have: by foot.

3) I made plans with a friend that day. During training for my half marathon last year, I became close friends with Katie, a seemingly normal (but exceptionally cool!) girl also running her first half marathon. We bonded over that experience before I found out that she herself was a two-time cancer survivor, giving added significance to the fact that we were running for an organization that raises money for cancer research. So when Katie set her sights on completing the NYC marathon this year and asked me to run with her, I told her that, while I fully supported her, I didn’t think I could do it. But then I realized something.

4) I can do it. Or, more accurately, I can try. Thanks to friends like Katie, and my family, and just under three decades of proving myself wrong when I didn’t think I could do something, I have enough reserves of support and inspiration to hopefully carry me through all five boroughs, and roughly five hours of my first New York City marathon. I know 2012 is the right year to do it for many reasons. The year it makes sense to go from spectating on 1st Avenue to hoofing it on the first Sunday morning in November. The year that I have the health and inspiration and free time (upside to moving to a city where you have no friends!), that I can attempt to knock this very daunting experience off my life list, all while raising money for Catholic Charities’ incredibly worthy mission of answering the desperate needs of so many in my former home city.

So to my doctor (who, incidentally, gave me a clean bill of health for training), I guess I should say, you’re absolutely right, God did bless me. And that’s exactly why, when I run the marathon in four months, I will consider every mile – from the thrilling first on the Verrazano to the brutal 26th in Central Park – an extraordinary privilege.

 

 

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From a Very Long Walk to a Very Long Run: Meet Maria, Marathon Runner for Team Catholic Charities NY

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

Maria Ines Galvez walking "El Camino de Santiago," the legendary pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

Maria Ines Galvez is no stranger to tests of physical and spiritual endurance. Every January, she plans  a personal goal and dedicates her year to pursuing it — challenging work that usually involves going far outside her comfort zone.

In 2010, the year she dedicated to gratitude and thanksgiving, she decided to walk “El Camino de Santiago,” the legendary pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.  She knew that this physical challenge would be spiritually fulfilling and would also allow her to show gratitude to God. “Every night, in every town, there was a special pilgrims’ mass. I tried to make it to mass each night, no matter where I was,” said Galvez.

This past January, Galvez committed herself to charity towards those in need. She was trying to find the best way to do this when her running partner, Father Joseph Tyrrell of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, suggested she run the ING New York City Marathon for Catholic Charities New York.

“It all started with Fr. Joe,” said Galvez. “He was my inspiration. I thought, if he could run the marathon, so could I.”

By running with Team Catholic Charities NY, Galvez is working toward her 2012 commitment by raising $5,000 in support of the St. Nicholas Project, a Catholic Charities initiative that provides critical social services and charitable support to New York families in need.

“Training for the ING NYC Marathon has become a life-changing event  for me, not only physically but spiritually as well,” said Galvez. “It is very grueling, but when I feel tired and want to stop, I think about the commitment I’ve made to those who will be benefiting from my fundraising for this race.”

So what does Galvez say is harder – walking the Camino de Santiago, or training for the NYC Marathon?

“The Camino is harder,” said Galvez. “When you’re on the pilgrimage, if you don’t cover enough miles in the day, you won’t be able to find a place to sleep. There are rural houses along the route that take in pilgrims, but they are only accessible at certain intervals – and sometimes, all the beds are full.”

Maria Ines works at BBVA S.A. as an analyst in the Structured Trade Finance Team.

 

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“New York City is My Track”: Meet Cynthia, 2012 ING NYC Marathon Runner for Team Catholic Charities NY

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

Cynthia Martinez after finishing the NYC Half Marathon. She will run the 2012 ING NYC Marathon for Team Catholic Charities New York. Support her on Crowdrise. http://www.crowdrise.com/catholiccharitiesnycmarathon/fundraiser/cynthiamartinez1

 

By Cynthia Martinez
Associate Director of Youth Ministry

Three years ago, I challenged myself and trained hard for my first half-marathon.  I remember being so afraid of what it meant to train for 13.1 miles.  I had only participated in one race which was a corporate 5K race back in 2002.  Though I consider myself pretty fit, training for pavement pounding week after week takes a lot of will power and discipline.  Nevertheless, I can proudly say that I am the owner of four medals, each one representing the different half-marathons I have completed in the past three years.

“New York City is my track” is the motto I have embraced.  Ever since I began running, Riverside Drive and the West Side Highway have become my training grounds.  One of the best experiences during my training was getting access to all of the sights in Central Park, Ft. Tryon and the Cloisters.  Who can even feel exhausted when there is so much beauty to explore?

I have to thank the “Runner’s High” I heard so much about, for getting me to where I am now.  Once I completed my first race, and the subsequent ones, I knew that one of my goals was to eventually run the full marathon.  The year that I ran my first half-marathon, I had also ran to fundraise for an organization that works to help young girls develop healthy lifestyle and self-respect, in order to reduce the numbers of eating disorders and teen pregnancy.

When I wasn’t accepted to the ING New York City Marathon through their lottery system, I knew that I would still do it for a charity.  I found out about Team Catholic Charities NY through a friend, and when I did the research, my heart leapt – I knew I had to try to get on this team.  As I learned in my previous experience in running for charity, when I am running for a good cause, I am fueled to train even harder, because I know people are counting on me.  As I train, it means so much more to me that my own physical endurance will in the end provide physical aid to those who need it most.

As the Associate Director of Catholic Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese of New York, it is an honor to run for Catholic Charities, who has a longstanding tradition of putting others FIRST and treating them with the dignity that they deserve.  I have personally worked with Catholic Charities, and for me it means that I am not only running for an organization – I am running for my family.

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How to Run the ING NYC Marathon for Charity: Tips from a Marathon Running Priest

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Fr. Joseph Tyrrell celebrates the "Runner's Mass" prior to the ING NYC Marathon.

For the past 4 years, Fr. Joseph Tyrrell has served as Master of Ceremonies at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City — and in his spare time, has trained for multiple ING New York City Marathons to benefit charity.

This year, Fr. Tyrrell will be running the 2012 ING New York City Marathon  (his 5th) with Team Catholic Charities New York, and fundraising for the St. Nicholas Project — an Catholic Charities initiative that provides critical social services to families in need throughout the year.

On a recent broadcast of JustLove on the Catholic Channel on Sirius/XM, Catholic Charities Executive Director Msgr. Kevin Sullivan spoke with Fr. Tyrrell, who is also passionate about integrating his marathon training into his ministry. He celebrates an annual “Runner’s Mass” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral prior to the marathon, and often trains for running while listening to the Bible on his iPod.

“My vocation is to bring the Good News,” he says. “Any type of training that I do is part of that.”

Listen to the JustLove  radio broadcast now to hear Fr. Tyrrell’s tips on running and charity fundraising, and why he thinks charity marathon running is so important to his life of faith and service.

Support Fr. Joseph Tyrrell on Crowdrise, and cheer him on as he trains for the 2012 ING NYC Marathon.

 

 

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Meet the ING New York City Marathon Runners of Team Catholic Charities

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

By Marianna Reilly

This year, Catholic Charities is one of the official charity participants in the 2012 ING New York City Marathon. There are only a few ways to get into this exclusive event. Elite runners qualify based on running time, lucky ones get selected through the lottery process (only 6% do), members of New York Road Runners qualify by running 9 races and volunteering for one – and remarkable people qualify by running for charity.

During the next 6 months, the five runners on Team Catholic Charities New York will dedicate themselves to two challenges: training to run 26.2 miles through every borough of New York City, and fundraising for The St. Nicholas Project, an initiative that helps New York families in need.

The response to run with Team Catholic Charities New York was great, and we are honored to announce our running team for the 2012 ING New York City Marathon. Starting this month, we will be announcing one runner every week who has been accepted to run the Marathon with Team Catholic Charities NY.

Visit this blog regularly for updates on our team, and information about how you can get involved as a Team Catholic Charities NY volunteer, and participate in one of New York City’s most exciting athletic events.

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