So much more than just marathon day.
Many of you will remember the incredible campaign that Boston Marathon presenting partner Bank of America created and shared across the country leading up to last April’s race. You couldn’t walk through Boston without seeing someone’s inspiring story in the windows of a banking center, another story in a train station, they were even shared when watching the 96th Academy Awards on TV.
But how many of us know what happened next in their story? How was their Boston Marathon day? What did all their incredible fundraising dollars go towards?
In the first of a two-part review, we caught up with three of those campaign stars to find out about their experience.
Naitik Shah, 42, from Westborough, MA, USA
“I joined the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team (DFMC) in 2019 to run and raise funds in memory and honor of my mom and her best friend. I had planned to only run the Boston Marathon once, but after joining this team I met so many inspirational friends, I completed my fifth Boston Marathon this year.
“Everyone in the team truly believes that one day we will live in "A World without Cancer", and until then we will keep running.
Patriots’ Day:
“Patriots’ Day is my most favorite day of the year because it’s the Boston Marathon Day and it lived up to the expectations once again. The noise was deafening and trust me when I say this, this is the only race where the charity runners get louder cheers than the professionals! My Dad who was witnessing the Boston Marathon in person for the very first time had the best time too. When I turned onto Boylston Street from Hereford my friend, Julie, who was running with me told me, "This is for your mom and my dad" just before we crossed the finish line. This is what the Boston Marathon is all about. It's way more than a race, full of emotions, passion, purpose, triumph against all odds and literally the single most important and best day of the year.
A larger impact:
“This year I raised $37,000 for DFMC. Over the last 3 years I have raised close to $110K for breakthrough cancer research and over the 5 years I have raised a little over $135K for cancer charities. The money raised by DFMC goes towards the Claudia Adams Barr Program at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This program is used to fund innovative basic cancer research.
“This year I ran with 135 names on my singlet of those who lost their cancer battle, of which 27 names were of children nine and under. Such an honor to carry them with me and a powerful reminder of why I was doing it.
“DFMC has a patient partner program where they paired me with my 5-year-old patient partner Chase. My family was fortunate to witness him get cancer free just this summer and Chase along with his two brothers were waiting for me on top of Heartbreak hill on race day. Seeing him and his family up there was the highlight of that day for me.
“All along the course I could hear people shouting and thanking me when they saw my DFMC singlet. "Thank You Dana Farber, you saved my life." It's impossible to put all these emotions into words, but it will be a talking point for the rest of my life along with forever memories and inspirational stories.
Featured across Boston and beyond:
Thank you to Bank of America for this amazing campaign, never have I seen any sponsor give this much-needed spotlight to charity runners. This campaign shed light on what exactly a marathon is all about- it's so much more than just running 26.2 miles.
“My dad who was visiting from India to watch his first Boston Marathon was so proud and surprised as I had not revealed anything about this to him.
“This campaign made me feel like a celebrity and the team took such good care of us on the day of our photo shoot. And it also helped DFMC get additional donations from strangers. People saw us and wanted to support us. One donor donated $5 and said, ‘I don't have much but I saw your poster at this station, and I want to be a part of the solution’.”
Lyndsay Kuder (43) and Nate Kuder (44) from Roslindale, MA, USA
“We ran the 2024 Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America for Team Hoyt, an organization that inspires us both deeply. Their mission of inclusion for individuals with disabilities resonates with us. We’ve admired the Hoyt family for years, not just for their achievements in running but for their dedication to ensuring that everyone—regardless of ability—can participate fully in life. Since this year’s Boston Marathon was the first race after Rick Hoyt passed away, we felt even more motivated to run for Team Hoyt and to honor his legacy.
Race day:
“This year started with a crazy idea - could we do it? Could we raise enough money to both secure a bib? Could we figure out how to both train at the same time with two young kids at home to manage? Just getting to the starting line was an accomplishment! Our goal was to run the first half together and see what happens.
“We’ve each run Boston once before, but this was the first time running together. Race day was a whirlwind of emotions and energy. The crowd was electric, especially when they recognized the Team Hoyt logo and shouted, “Yes You Can!” Every mile felt like a tribute to the Hoyt family. It was a day we’ll never forget, full of pride, exhaustion, and joy.
“We both finished the day far off our personal bests, but so proud of overcoming the adversity along the way and mostly proud of what running for Team Hoyt really means.
Giving back:
“We managed to raise $22,996 for Team Hoyt this year between us, thanks to the incredible generosity of our friends, family, and community. The funds will help support Team Hoyt’s mission of creating inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can achieve their goals, just like Rick and Dick Hoyt did.
Campaign stardom:
“We are also grateful to Bank of America for including us in their charity campaign. It was a fun experience doing the photo shoots and recording the radio spots - something we had never done before! But the exposure for us and, more importantly, for the Hoyt Foundation was so helpful. It fired up our friends and community and led to at least one donation of $1400 by someone who saw the billboards!
“After this year’s marathon, Nate was invited to join Team Hoyt President, Russ Hoyt, when he presented a donation to the Augmentative Communication Program at Boston Children's Hospital. Talking with the program staff and meeting two amazing men who benefited from the services of this program changed his perspective and made the fundraising we did even more meaningful.
“This marathon has solidified our commitment to Team Hoyt and its mission, and we’re excited for what’s next—whether that’s another marathon or using our platform to inspire others to take action.”
To learn more about the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program, visit https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/charity-program