FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The 2017 New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's Boston Marathon Team has been fundraising and training tirelessly over the past several months with the goal of overcoming the ultimate endurance test and crossing the historic finish line at Mile 26.2 on Boylston Street.
This Patriots Day (Monday, April 17), 30 runners, including seven Kraft Group employees, lifelong Patriots fans, first-time marathoners and avid runners will come together and make their way to the starting line of the 121st Boston Marathon. The team will begin the historic race on Main Street in Hopkinton at 11:15 a.m. with the goal of reaching the finish line on Boylston Street while wearing an official Patriots Boston Marathon Team jersey generously donated by Nike and All Sports Heroes in Lowell.
Since its inception ten years ago, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation's Boston Marathon teams have raised more than $1.6 million to support children and families throughout the region. For the seventh consecutive year, the funds raised will support the Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards program, which awards grants to nonprofit organizations through nominations of deserving volunteers in the New England region in honor of the late Myra Kraft, who was a lifelong volunteer and community advocate.
"It's been another exciting year for the Patriots on the field and that excitement has carried over to our Boston Marathon team," said Josh Kraft, President of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. "We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to field a team for the most historic marathon in the world and we are grateful for the support of the Boston Athletic Association and John Hancock. This year's team is a very dedicated and passionate group of runners, many of whom are running their first marathon, and are deeply committed to supporting the New England community. We can't wait to see all of them cross the finish line on Marathon Monday."
This year's Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards will recognize 26 volunteers from across the New England region for their outstanding commitment to community service. The honorees will be invited to a special luncheon at Gillette Stadium in June and will receive their awards from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. Each of the nonprofits for which the winners volunteer will receive a grant to support their programs. Last year's recipients featured individuals from every New England state, ages 17 to 93, serving nonprofit organizations specializing in education, healthcare, homelessness, mentoring and military appreciation, just to name a few.
More than 500 runners applied to be a part of this year's Patriots Boston Marathon team. When applying to the team, runners submitted information about their desire to run for the team, which included stories of being lifelong Patriots fans, triumph over personal difficulties and a desire to lead healthy lives. Fans can continue to make donations through race day in support of the team's cause by visiting this link.
For more information about the Patriots Marathon Team and the Myra Kraft Community MVP Awards program, please visit www.patriots.com/community. For more information about how to receive email or text alerts each time a Patriots Marathon Team runner reaches checkpoints throughout the race, or for personal stories about members of the team, please contact Dan MacPherson at DMacPherson@kraftsportsgroup.com or 774-226-3031. Additional information and photos of runners available upon request.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION BOSTON MARATHON TEAM MEMBERS:
Jeffrey Anderson - Longmeadow, Mass.
Michael Bocchicchia - Dennis Port, Mass.
Jackie Beatrice - Waltham, Mass.*
Peter Butera - Northborough, Mass.
Sarah Chappell - Portsmouth, R.I.
Nick Foley - Boston, Mass.
Jennifer Gasbarro - Millis, Mass.
Michael Goldstein - Cambridge, Mass.
Robert Goldstein - Brookline, Mass.
Samantha Hughes - Charlestown, Mass.
Edward Kane - Upper Arlington, Ohio
Mark Lamson - Foxborough, Mass.
Naomi Lang - Sharon, Mass.*
Stephen LoCicero - La Jolla, Calif.
Ken McCarthy - Windham, N.H.
Jennifer Monkiewicz - Lynnfield, Mass.
Jenny Moore - Brighton, Mass.
Greg Norris - Wrentham, Mass.
Monti Ossenfort - Foxborough, Mass.*
Meg Pallotta - Hanover, Mass.
Matt Porro - Bridgewater, Mass.
Campbell Probert - Dedham, Mass.*
Joshua Rivers - Virginia Beach, Virg.
Dan Scanlon - East Greenwich, R.I.
John Sheehan - New London, N.H.
Lauren Spencer - Tewksbury, Mass.*
Carolyn Stearns - Brighton, Mass.*
Caitlin Toomey - Wenham, Mass.*
Please note that some of our other runners wished to remain anonymous
*Denotes employees of The Kraft Group