HOUSTON (May 4, 2016) - The Houston Marathon Committee on Wednesday announced the official charities for the 2016-2017 Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason charity program. The new charity lineup offers a variety of important causes including medical research and support, community outreach, animal protection and more.
Linking 33,000 runners with 62 official charities, the Run for a Reason (RFAR) charity program provides an avenue for race participants, individuals and organizations to collect donations on behalf of an official charity of their choice. It also provides a platform for charities to raise awareness and educate others about their cause.
"The Run for a Reason initiative generated an astounding 18,500 donations this year primarily due to the generous running community in Houston and we hope to surpass that number in 2017," said Wade Morehead, Executive Director of the Houston Marathon Committee and Houston Marathon Foundation. "The Houston runners who fund-raise for the official RFAR charities contribute significantly to their causes and truly make a positive impact on this community. We are all very grateful as this is the primary annual fund-raising platform for many of our official charities."
The 2015-2016 season marked the sixth year in a row that fundraising surpassed the $2 million mark. Since the program's inception in 1995, more than $24 million has been raised to benefit various charities.
How to participate
The Run for a Reason program offers guaranteed ways to enter the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
Beginning on May 5th, a limited number of guaranteed charity entries become available on a first-come, first-served basis. HERO charity entries enable runners to make an upfront, tax-deductible donation of at least $350 to an official Run for a Reason charity of their choice, plus the cost of registration, to secure a guaranteed race entry. More information on HERO entries can be found here . Individuals can also purchase a guaranteed entry for someone else through the Gift a HERO program.
Beginning June 1st, a limited number of Fundraising for Registration (FFR) charity entries will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Fundraising for Registration charity entries give runners an opportunity to fundraise for an official Run for a Reason charity of their choice and receive a guaranteed race entry. Participating charities set their own fundraising minimums and deadlines, and runners should contact the organizations directly. More information can be found here.
The Run for a Reason Kickoff Party will be held Thursday, June 16, 2016 at Memorial Park from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m CT. Participants are encouraged to pickup an "In Training" shirt and visit with official charities, running clubs and sponsors. Shirts will be available to the first 2,000 participants who are registered for the 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
The 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon are scheduled for Sunday, January 15, 2017, while the ABB 5K will be held the day before on Saturday, January 14.
The 2016-2017 Chevron Houston Marathon Official Run for a Reason charities are listed below and can also be found at RunforaReasonHouston,org.
2016-2017 Official Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason Charities
3 "A" Bereavement Foundation
ALS Association Texas Chapter
Alzheimer's Association, Houston & SE Texas Chapter
American Heart Association
American Liver Foundation
The Arbor School
Be An Angel
Bel Inizio
Bo's Place
Buffalo Bayou Partnership
The Cade R. Alpard Foundation for Pediatric Liver Disease
CanCare, Inc.
The Center
Child Advocates, Inc.
Citizens for Animal Protection
Covenant House Texas
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
CYCLE (formerly Elves & More)
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Down Syndrome Association of Houston
Dress for Success Houston
Epilepsy Foundation of Texas
Family Services of Greater Houston
Galveston Bay Foundation
The H.E.A.R.T Program
Houston Aphasia Recovery Center
Houston Area Parkinson Society
Houston Area Women's Center
Houston Food Bank
Houston Marathon Foundation
Houston Police Foundation
Houston SPCA
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Kids' Meals, Inc.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Living Water International
Lupus Foundation of America - TX Gulf Coast Chapter
Marathon Kids
Memorial Hermann Foundation
The Montrose Center
National Kidney Foundation
Open Door Mission
Organization for Autism Research
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
The Parish School
Presbyterian Children's Homes & Services
Reach Unlimited, Inc.
Ronald McDonald House Houston
The Salvation Army of Greater Houston
San Jose Clinic
SEARCH Homeless Services
Snowdrop Foundation
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Star of Hope Mission
Sunshine Kids Foundation
Texas Center for the Missing
Texas Children's Hospital
The Todd Krampitz Foundation
Vita-Living, Inc.
The Women's Home
Young Audiences of Houston
Young Texans Against Cancer
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC) annually organizes the nation's premier winter marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. Over 250,000 participants, volunteers and spectators make Chevron Houston Marathon Race Day the largest single-day sporting event in Houston. A founding member of Running USA, the HMC is an IAAF bronze level event that retained Gold Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport and was awarded the AIMS Green Award for industry-leading sustainability initiatives. Race Weekend generates over $50 million in economic impact for the region annually. In 2016, the Run for a Reason Charity Program raised $2.3 million, while the Houston Marathon Foundation supported youth and community running initiatives. Televised annually by broadcast partner ABC13, 2016 was the first time that the event was syndicated live nationally and internationally on ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network. Host to 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships since 2005 and the 1992 women's Olympic Trials Marathon, the HMC also conducted the 2012 men's and women's U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.
For more information, visit ChevronHoustonMarathon.com or call 713.957.3453.
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