ENERGY! You Will Feel It

This is the second article in a series by the HBS Boston Marathon Team.
ENERGY! Do you feel it? Read the story of six of your classmates who are running the Boston Marathon for the West End Boys and Girls Club marathon charity program and come to the ENERGY! fundraising party this Thursday April 4th, and we guarantee you will feel it. On April 15th, come out to support your HBS runners and to experience the marathon, an annual Boston tradition unlike any other. You will definitely feel the ENERGY! then.

For the past four months, Brendan Biggins, Mayer Bick, Bertrand Bodson, Brian Davis, Jamie Herbstman and Arielle Loeb have been training to run the Boston Marathon. Normally to qualify for the Boston Marathon you must have run a qualifying marathon in under 3 hours and 10 minutes for men, 3 hours 40 minutes for women; Each year, however, the Boston Marathon sets aside almost a thousand numbers for charities to use as fundraising tools. The HBS Marathon Team is running for the West End Boys and Girls Club – collectively the team will raise in excess of $15,000.

The West End House has been “a positive place for kids” in Boston for nearly a century. The Club was originally established in 1906 by James J. Storrow to provide immigrant youth a place to meet for educational and athletic activities. Today, the West End House annually serves 1,200 at-risk youth, between the ages of 6 and 18, who live in the community. The Club offers a wide range of youth development activities including tutoring and computer literacy, swimming and basketball, arts activities, youth leadership clubs, and drug, alcohol and violence prevention programs.

At the West End House, staff and volunteers are dedicated to inspiring and enabling youth from all backgrounds to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. Through interactions with positive role models and participation in constructive educational activities, kids’ eyes are opened to previously unrecognized opportunities – such as attending college or becoming leaders in their community.

26.2 miles or $15,000? After training through frigid temperatures, runs that seem never-ending, hills that definitely do not get smaller and three day weekends cut short by the critical long runs, to the six runners, raising $15,000 sometimes seems more attainable than running 26.2 miles. Through a combination of personal fundraising and events such as the February Foxwoods Trek and the upcoming April 4th ENERGY! party, the group plans to exceed its fundraising goal.

For those of you who cannot fathom running that far or who embrace the mantra of “I run only when chased,” here are a few quotes from the fabulous six runners to give you a feel as to where they get their energy and what the training is all about:

Brian, “If I can do this, anybody can…the kids are very inspiring and a worthy cause. Everyone’s support is truly worthwhile and appreciated.”
Arielle, “It’s all about the kids. When I’m cursing Heartbreak Hill as I make the slow climb up at mile 21, it will be the kids who fuel the spirit. That and my Nutri-grain bars.”

Bertrand, “Endless training, losing 15 pounds, eating banana’s every day, Gatorade, stopping (limiting) beer and chocolate, increasingly more visits to the doctor. All that for 42K… or for the kids? We need your Energy!”
If you are interested in helping, come to one of the semester’s biggest parties-ENERGY! You will feel the ENERGY! this Thursday April 4th, 9pm at Atlas, located at 3 Lansdowne Street in Boston. Fueled by free Red Bull Energy Drink and fantastic tunes, it is a party you won’t want to miss. The dress is athletic street wear-the typical shad attire, sneakers, workout clothes and attitude. Admission is $20 and all proceeds will go directly to the Boys and Girls Club. You can make a big difference in the lives of Alston-Brighton and feel the ENERGY! for yourself.