Kent State instructor organizes run, raises funds for Boston Marathoners

Following the bombing of the Boston Marathon on April 15, Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino created The One Fund, Inc. charity to aid those affected, and local community members are joining in to show their support.

Kirsten Beverley, Kent State instructor and owner of KB Endurance, is organizing a charity run, the Run4Boston Charity Event, to benefit The One Fund Inc. on Sunday.

“This event is about raising awareness in our community and raising money for Boston,” Beverley said.

The KB Endurance website offers the opportunity for people to donate to The One Fund, Inc., and Beverley said members of the community are already taking advantage.

“On the [KB Endurance] website, people can link with One Fund,” Beverley said. “Some of the athletes have friends and family that are sponsoring them based on how many miles they run, and others are just sending people to One Fund to donate directly.”

In addition to raising funds, KB Endurance members and Kent State students have been logging their miles on the company’s Facebook page to show their support, Beverley said. To date, they have logged more than 1,250 miles, 523 of which are from Beverley’s class of Kent State students.

Beverley said she told students in her fitness walking class, “Although you did not sign up to run in this class, I want you to think of those who were in Boston and did not intend for their day to end as it did. […] Let’s show Boston that Kent State stands not just behind them but beside them.”

In order to participate in the run, attendees do not need to be members of Beverley’s class or KB endurance.

“Anyone is welcome,” Beverley said. “I hope that people will consider coming out for the cause or running on campus this Sunday and log their miles, post pictures of their groups [on Facebook] and show Boston that together we will rise above this tragedy and run again.”

For more information on the charity run set to begin at 9 a.m. at the Sand Run Metro Park in Akron, visit kbendurancetraining.com

Contact Grace Murray at [email protected].