Nearly $4M raised by Dallas Marathon for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital over the years

The Dallas Marathon board of trustees today presented a donation of $250,000 to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC), the primary beneficiary of the Dallas Marathon since 1997. Funds contributed to TSRHC are from corporate partnerships, online fundraising, individual gifts and year-round activities including the 2014 Dallas Marathon. TSRHC patients and their families, hospital volunteers and staff, Dallas Marathon representatives, partners and individual fundraisers attended an awards ceremony to commemorate the donation and recognize key figures in the running community, Meb Keflezighi and Joe Bacon, with individual awards.

“Supporting our longtime partner and primary beneficiary, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, is an important focus as we work to deliver a unique and entertaining experience at each of our organization’s year-round events,” said Patrick Byerly, president of the Dallas Marathon. “TSRHC is truly an amazing place that helps so many children in the Dallas area and beyond reach their full potential. We’re very proud to help support their mission through this year’s donation and look forward to working with the hospital in 2015 and beyond.”

Contributions from the Dallas Marathon – which is a 501(c)(3) organization – go toward general patient care at TSRHC.

“We are so grateful for the generosity we’ve seen over the past 19 years from the Dallas Marathon organization,” said Bob Walker, president and CEO of TSRHC. “Our hospital, including the patients, their families, and our staff members, are touched every day in a positive way by the impact of the Dallas Marathon’s giving.”

In addition to the $250,000 donation to TSRHC, the marathon board bestowed its annual individual awards including:

•  The Victory Award of Excellence: Meb Keflezighi – The Victory Award honors a member of the running community for demonstrating the value of physical fitness and having a positive effect on health and fitness through outstanding effort, determination, commitment and courage. Meb is the only runner in history to win the New York City Marathon, the Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal. The 39-year-old owns a lifetime PR of 2:08:37, which he ran on his way to the first American victory in the Boston Marathon in 31 years in 2014. Meb will defend his title at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, 2015. Last year, Meb competed in the Behringer Relay at the Dallas Marathon, leading a relay team from the Dallas Mavericks to victory over the Texas Rangers in a friendly running competition. He will return to Dallas for the 2015 Dallas Marathon Race Weekend this December.
•  The Spirit Award: Joe Bacon – The Spirit Award recognizes a local running hero who inspires others to make a difference in their lives through the sport of running. Joe Bacon is one of the longest tenured running coaches in North Texas and has mentored or coached hundreds of local runners through his involvement with the Dallas Team in Training program. Bacon is an avid runner with a passion for helping others, and has raised more than $76,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through various races.

Registration for the 2015 Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon and Behringer Relay will open on May 20. For more information, visit dallasmarathon.com.