Running for a Good Cause

by Nikki Lorenzini

On Sunday, May 2nd, Blue Cross will host its annual Philly Broad Street Run. Since 1980, runners have been chasing down Broad Street, starting at Central High School, running south down Broad Street, and finishing at the Navy Yard in South Philly. The Broad Street Run is one of the largest and fastest ten-mile road races in the US, and runners get to pass by Temple University, City Hall, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Kimmel Center. This run has become a favorite in the running community, due in part to its nearly flat and slightly downhill course. Because this race has grown so big, the 2010 race has been capped at 30,000 runners.

Each of the 30,000 runners has a story, and many are running for a purpose. John Fallon is one of those running with a purpose. In his second race, Fallon is running to raise money and awareness for One Simple Wish, a website that features wishes for foster children, at-risk youth and impoverished families. The children and families make their wishes known through One Simple Wish’s network of established non-profits and religious organizations. The wishes that are granted include, but are not limited, to:

Backpacks and outfits for school
Diapers and basic baby products
Money for graduation caps and gowns
Restaurant gift certificates
Movie tickets
Amusement park or museum passes
School supplies
Tutoring
Music lessons
Passes for activities such as “Policeman for a Day” or horseback riding

Fallon is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors for OSW. He joined the board back in 2007 for three primary reasons. He states, “First, the concept of granting a small wish where I knew where my donation was going made so much sense. Too often I found myself making donations to organizations and never really knowing where my money was going, so having the ability to make the connection between my donation and the recipient was very exciting. Secondly, the founder and Executive Director, Danielle Gletow, is someone that I know and trust, so I joined with full confidence that her passion would ensure that we would never lose sight of the goals. Finally, I want to teach my own children about charity and philanthropy, that giving can happen in their own community, and that they can have fun at the same time.”

This will be Fallon’s second go in the Broad Street Run, last year doing it on a whim. Last year he originally believed he couldn’t get in shape and raise the money for OSW. Fallon said, “I thought my friends would find it amusing enough to donate to the cause just to see if I could do it. I did do it, but it turned out that my over-training resulted in me running the entire 10 miles with a fractured shin and stress fractures in both of my knees.” But what made him finally commit to doing the run was a coworker who does the run every year. “One day he suggested that I do it to raise money for One Simple Wish.” With that advice, the idea stuck, and he sent out a letter to his friends a week later asking to see if they would donate. “Within four days, I got three checks in the mail. It was as simple as that. I did the run, raised the money, and that coworker now sits on the Board of Directors with me.”

Last year he raised $2500 for OSW, and this year he has a bigger goal: $10,000. If he makes that goal, he will run as a dandelion. “I know that $10,000 is a lofty goal, so I was trying to come up with an additional incentive.” He made it a family event by having his kids help him with the fundraising and working on his costume. Fallon said that working with his kids was great, “They really do seem to understand how big a difference one person can make.” But the reason to run as a dandelion: “My oldest daughter came up with the dandelion idea since it’s OSW’s logo, and my two youngest have taken to calling me a Daddylion. It’s been a lot of fun doing the fundraising and getting the costume together with my kids.”

Fallon also states, “While the money is important, I also want to raise awareness of the organization so others can see how simple it is to make a big difference.”

If you would like to learn more about One Simple Wish, and to donate to help John run as a dandelion, you can visit: http://onesimplewish.org/run.

You can also help One Simple Wish receive $50,000 through the Pepsi Refresh Challenge . by simply voting online and helping them get into the top 10.