UPDATE APRIL 6:

Thank you to everyone who is sponsoring me!  After a fantastic 10-mile race in Washington, DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival this past weekend, I am all but ready to start my 26.2 miles.  My official bib number is 24762.  On race day, you can track my progress at http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/113thMarathon.asp

Thanks a bunch!

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Welcome!  My name is Dillon Powers, and I am both a Harvard sophomore and a future finisher of the 2009 Boston Marathon!  To get where I'm going, I need shoes, water, and lots of carbohydrates.  Most of all, I need YOU!

A few questions you may have:

Why do you want to run the Boston Marathon?

• In high school, I discovered my passion for running.  I enjoy the health benefits, the chance to explore places I otherwise would not, and the amazing rush of endorphins upon finishing a nice long trot.

How often do you run?

• In a zealous attempt to keep off the "freshman 15," I started running every morning last year.  I have since been able to maintain my exercise schedule through the many forms of precipitation Boston weather has to offer.

Don't you need to time qualify (ie run a marathon really fast) to run the Boston Marathon?

• No!  Thanks to the Harvard College Marathon Challenge, I can get an official slot in the 2009 Boston Marathon if I raise $2000 for the Philips Brooks House Association.

What is the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA)?

• PBHA is a nonprofit organization run entirely by Harvard undergraduates.  PBHA organizes almost 100 community service programs that allow Harvard students to engage in the greater Boston community through activities like after-school programs for local youth,

Are you involved in any PBHA programs?

• YES!  Since the spring of 2008, I have volunteered for two PBHA programs:
• The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter (HSHS) provides food and housing for 23 guests every night from November to April.  Founded in 1983, HSHS enlists the support of hundreds of students from both Harvard and Tufts.  Every Thursday morning, I wake up at 6:00am (a world record for a college student) to volunteer at HSHS.  My duties typically include making pancakes, washing dishes, and cleaning bathrooms.
• Harvard-Radcliffe Musical Outreach to Neighborhood Youth (HARMONY) matches Harvard student musicians with aspiring instrumentalists who cannot afford to pay for private lessons.  I teach cello to a high-school sophomore named Inah, who practices hard and learns cello much faster than I did.  We have a one-hour lesson every week in preparation for a recital at the end of Spring that features all the HARMONY students.

Awesome!  How can I help?

• Run with me!  If you want to join me for serious training or a relaxing job, I would love some company!
• DONATE!  I appreciate even the smallest of gifts.  The chance to run the Boston Marathon is the chance of a lifetime.  Please help me get to the start line--I'll take it from there!

How do I donate?

1. Use your credit card and pay through this website!  It's expedient and painless!
2. Send me a check or cash!  My college mailing address is at the bottom of the page.  You can make checks out either to "Dillon Powers" or to "Harvard College Marathon Challenge."

If you have any further questions about HCMC, PBHA, HSHS, HARMONY, excessive use of acronyms, or anything else, please feel free to email me at powers@fas.harvard.edu.  Take care!

Dillon Powers

511 Kirkland Mail Center

95 Dunster Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

 

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure.  Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too! For more information about PBHA and HCMC, please visit the Harvard College Marathon Challenge website.