By Elizabeth Bolton Alexandria, VA February 20, 2010 For the Washington Running Report
The money, the first donation from the RunningBrooke Fund to the Alexandria-based charity Child and Family Network Centers, will go toward the organization’s mission to provide caring, high-quality free education and related services to at-risk children and families in their own neighborhoods to prepare and empower them for success in school and life.
“I chose CFNC because they focus on the whole family, not just the child or the adult, to ensure that the entire family has a promising future,” said Curran. “They do incredible work there.”
In early 2009, Curran decided to take her running to the next level. But as someone who had run Boston so many times that it had “stopped being a big deal,” she went looking for a higher purpose. She found ACT for Alexandria, which helped her establish the RunningBrooke Fund and her goal to run a marathon in all 50 states, on all seven continents and complete the 5 Majors to raise money for Alexandria-based charities.
Her goal was to raise $20,000 in her first year. She succeeded; as of December 31, 2009, she had raised $22,250. In 2010, she will run a marathon a month as she travels across the United States and to London and Australia en route to raising $50,000 over the course of the year.
“I have no idea if I can raise $50,000 this year, but I figured that I have nothing to lose,” said Curran. “I raised $22,000 from May to December of 2009, so why not? Let’s go for it and really make an impact!”
Curran is currently working to recruit at least 10 Alexandria businesses to commit to donating $1,000 a year for the next five years. At press time, she had six signed on to her cause.
To learn more about RunningBrooke or to make a donation, visit www.runningbrooke.com. You can also follow Curran’s progress on her blog, www.runningbrooke.blogspot.com, or on Twitter by following @RunnerBrooke.
To learn more about ACT for Alexandria or Child and Family Network Centers, visit their respective Web sites at www.actforalexandria.org and www.cfnc-online.org.
