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Team Brigham gathers in Hopkinton prior to the start of the marathon.
Over the course of the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon on Monday, Team Brigham runner Noah Rodriguez, MD, hit a few tough stretches, but thinking about the cause he was supporting gave him the energy to push through.
“Remembering the victims of domestic violence, the cancer patients who need assistance and the young students who rely on jobs and mentorship at BWH, I thought, ‘How can I possibly give up?’” said the Gynecology/Oncology fellow, who ran with Team Brigham for the first time this year. “You also think about the people who sacrificed to donate to you during this difficult time, and they’re all counting on you, too.”
Rodriguez wanted to be part of Team Brigham because he connects personally with the community programs the team supports. Growing up in East Los Angeles, Rodriguez benefited from similar community programs himself. “People addressing the needs of my community enabled me to get through school and to this point,” he said. “Now, I’m looking forward to being on the giving side of things.”
Rodriguez and the 136 members of Team Brigham were among more than 22,000 runners in the 113th Boston Marathon. Throngs of people lined the entire route from Hopkinton to Copley Square, and the sounds of thundering applause and cheers echoed in runners’ ears, motivating them to continue.
“I didn’t run 10 feet of the marathon without hearing people cheer my name,” said Annie Vanderheyden, BWH Development associate, who ran with Team Brigham for the first time this year. “The crowds were absolutely amazing.”
She noticed many familiar faces from BWH Development at the official team cheering spot on Beacon Street. “That really motivated me to get over that last hill above the Mass. Pike,” she said.
The team had fantastic results, with 35 members finishing in less than four hours—including 10 BWHers. “It was a great day for the whole team,” said DeeDee Mariano, of Patient/Family Relations, who has been running with the team for nine years.
The team bulked up on pasta and carbohydrates at a special dinner for runners and their families in Cabot Atrium the night before the race. They were joined by many BWHers from the Center for Community Health and Health Equity, who run the community health programs that Team Brigham fund-raising dollars support. The runner numbers, generously donated by John Hancock, generate up to $500 thousand each year.
Runners noted that being part of Team Brigham and raising at least $3,000 each for community programs added meaning to the 26.2-mile race and the journey to Marathon Monday.
“I’ve worked at the hospital for 37 years, and it’s a great way to give something back to the patients and families who are part of who we are,” said Mariano.
Team Brigham has raised more than $3.7 million in the past decade to benefit BWH community health programs, including Passageway; Connecting Hope, Assistance and Treatment program; and the Student Success Jobs Program.
Vanderheyden added, “To have the opportunity to run Boston and raise money for the programs we’re raising money for in Development year-round was really exciting.”
See a photo gallery of Team Brigham
Team Brigham’s Paul Millett and his family gather at Fitcorp for a post-race celebration.
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