Goal #1:  Get running sneakers back from dogs.

Goal #2:  Complete the Boston Marathon after 10 years on the sidelines.

I am running as a member of the 2007 Thompson Island Outward Bound Marathon Team.  For those of you unfamiliar with Thompson Island Outward Bound, it is an outstanding program, worthy of inflicting 26.2 miles of pain on my body, and definitely worthy of your support.

For many youths in and around Boston, opportunities to explore the outdoors and to escape the city are nonexistent.  Outward Bound gives kids this opportunity – taking them out of their urban environments and challenging them physically, mentally and spiritually to gain self confidence and learn perseverance, teamwork, goal setting and leadership skills.  Their programs are innovative, dynamic and, most importantly, effective.  Perhaps Jamir, a 9^th grader at Fenway High School, said it best:  

“I learned how to push myself to the next level.  I always used to take the easy route but now I can do anything I want to if I push myself.  When I get home and things get tough and I feel like giving up, even if I have hard times, I can look back at my Outward Bound course and say ‘I Can!’”   

Well, provided I get my sneakers back, I can too.  Please help support me in this worthwhile endeavor by making a contribution to Thompson Island Outward Bound. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

This just in!  To provide added incentive to potential donors, Tom Niles, a Thompson Island Outward Bound Advisor and a former avid runner, has offered a $15,000 matching grant to support our Marathon Team's fundraising efforts. Donate today and your contribution will have twice the impact.