Boston Marathon participants who ran on behalf of more than 260 non-profit organizations raised $36.6 million for charity in the 122nd year of the historic race. The fundraising total represents a 7 percent increase, or $2.4 million, over 2017’s results.
Total funds include $19.2 million raised through the Boston Athletic Association’s Official Charity Program, $13.1 million raised through John Hancock’s Non-Profit Program, and $4.3 million from other qualified and invitational runners.
Most of the fundraising runners gained entry through the B.A.A. and John Hancock programs, which provide non-profits with guaranteed entries (“bibs”) that enable runners to fundraise for their organizations.
“Every year it’s gratifying to see the positive impact that the Boston Marathon shares with its surrounding communities,” said B.A.A. CEO Tom Grilk. Many benevolent organizations are helped by these fundraising efforts, and we’re proud to be associated with their good work. And we’re very thankful to our friends at John Hancock, with whom we proudly reflect on another great year of fundraising.”
“For the tenth consecutive year, we set a new fundraising record in the John Hancock program, and we celebrate our non-profit runners for their commitment and generosity,” said Marianne Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer of John Hancock. “We are proud to continue to leverage our 33-year principal sponsorship of the Boston Marathon to build healthier communities alongside our community partners.”
John Hancock again partnered with CrowdRise to offer a centralized online platform to capture Boston Marathon fundraising. The site (www.crowdrise.com/2018bostonmarathon) showcases all the 2018 partner non-profit organizations and features the personal stories of the runners who supported them.
Over the past 33 years, the official B.A.A. Charity Program and John Hancock’s Non-Profit Program have combined to raise more than $333 million for community-based organizations. More information on the programs can be found on https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/charity-program and https://www.johnhancock.com/citizenship/boston-marathon.html.
About the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.’s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs, including high performance athletes and running club. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with the international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. The 123rd Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 15, 2019. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.
About John Hancock and Manulife
John Hancock is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were $1 trillion (US $754 billion) as at March 31, 2017. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.
For more information about Boston Marathon Non-Profit Fundraising:
For more information about John Hancock Boston Marathon Non-Profit Fundraising:
Media Contacts
John Hancock:
Ana Senior
(857) 272-0020
asenior@jhancock.com
Boston Athletic Association:
Chris Lotsbom
Communications Manager
(617) 778-1622
clotsbom@baa.org