2015

Annual Grant Report

107 South West Street #725 Alexandria VA 22314

Mission Statement Marathon Charity Cooperation (MCC) is a charitable and educational foundation for the benefit of underprivileged children and families around the world. The MCC mission includes funding a cooperative of non-profit charity partners who both benefit from and contribute to the events hosted. Our events provide opportunities for personal and professional growth in addition to education of the public serving people of all ages.

A Letter from the President the MCC President 2015 has been another banner year for the Marathon Charity Cooperation! In concert with our Charity Partners, thousands of runners found the opportunity, strength and determination to achieve a marvelous personal accomplishment by completing a marathon, half marathon, 10-mile road race or 5K run. As marvelous as the compassion of our runners is, we are equally fortunate to have the commitment of volunteers across the breadth of the organization – from coaches to staff who attend to a wide array of thankless tasks required for any organization to thrive. I am equally amazed beyond words at what all these efforts mean in terms of impact. From the very beginning, the MCC has provided a means for people from all walks of life, backgrounds and communities to use their health to promote the well-being and welfare of others – around the corner and around the world. Our eight charity partners translate and transform the success of the MCC into impact and saving lives of children and families. This year, we provided over $53,000 in grants to our Charity Partners. If you read any part of this annual report, please check out how the MCC Partners have put the grants into action to changes lives of others. Make no mistake; credit for our success rests with our volunteers, our runners and their supporters. I am honored to be associated with everyone who contributes and participates in the Marathon Charity Cooperation’s activities. Nicholas Panebianco

Summer Training Program Our summer training program is one of our two core activities. This year, we had 105 runners participate in our Summer Training Program (STP). Led by Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) certified coaches, our STP guides first-time marathoners and half marathoners as well as veteran runners through the paces to realize their goal of completing the race of their choice. Completing an endurance race is part of the objective of the program, but the Summer Training Program provides runners the means to realize a life-long goal, demonstrating how they can use their health to promote the well being of others. The MCC’s Summer Training Program empowers the MCC Charity Partner charity running programs.

Baltimore Running Festival The Baltimore Running Festival is one of 2 signature events where runners are challenged and succeed in completing an endurance race – of a marathon or half marathon. A number of the STP runners joined more than 93 runners for the Baltimore Running Festival on Oct 17th. 6 runners completed the marathon while 58 ran the half marathon and 29 sped through the 5K.

Marine Corps Marathon A week after the Baltimore Running Festival, the MCC and all 8 of our charity partners participated in the Marine Corps Marathon – the nation’s most popular marathon! We had 250 marathoners and 10K runners toe the line on a slightly raining Sunday morning. Our experienced coaches were on the course, encouraging runners as they mastered the 14th Street Bridge and charged on to the finish line.

Alexandria Running Festival We completed our 6th year of the Alexandria Running Festival over the Memorial Day weekend. Great weather allowed 869 runners to complete the half marathon while 256 completed the “Running Brooke 5K”. Ashish Rathee led the half marathon pack with a 1 hour and 20 minute finish. Hot on his heals was Angelo Ortiz, our top women’s finisher with a 1 hour and 21 minute finish.

We also hosted a Kids’ Kilometer run again. In addition, we hosted the 2nd annual Alexandria Family Festival. This festival allowed runners and their families to enjoy a range of children activities, such as face painting, balloon twisting and a kid’s obstacle course.

Our 2016 Alexandria Running Festival will take place on May 29th, 2016. Register now and save! https://secure.getmeregistered.com/AlexandriaRunFest In 2016, we will again team with the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon (WWBHM) to offer an “Alexandria Double” award. Runners who complete our ARF half marathon and 5K and go on to finish the Woodrow Wilson Bridge half marathon or 6K will earn a special medal to highlight their accomplishment. Unfortunately, the threat of Hurricane Joachim forced the WWBHM to cancel its 2015 run. We will partner with WWBHM in 2016 – offer runners a first-of-a-its-kind opportunity! Register now and save! On registration fees of both races https://secure.getmeregistered.com/AlexandriaDouble

Revenge of the Penguins

On September 13th, we hosted the 8th annual Revenge of the Penguins 10 and 20 mile race along the historic C&O Towpath outside Washington DC. This low key event is designed to give first time marathoners the confidence that they can go the distance and meet the Marine Corps Marathon time restrictions of reaching the 14th Street on time.

We had 174 runners complete the 20-mile challenge while 140 runners enjoyed the 10-mile race. Jim Gregory of Wheaton MD finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 7:03 minute/mile pace. Katie West wasn’t far behind at 2 hours and 30 minutes to capture the women’s top prize. While many of the runners where from the Maryland, DC and Virginia area, we had runners join us from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Michigan! Once again, we distributed first-class Revenge of the Penguins jackets to the first 250

registered runners. We will continue this tradition in 2016! Our 2016 event will take place on September 18th, 2016. Register now and save! https://secure.getmeregistered.com/RevengeOfThePenguins

Other Events While the MCC focuses on preparing local runners for endurance races in Washington DC and Baltimore MD, MCC runners cross the finish lines for events across the nation. MCC runners represented us at the following events:

New York Marathon Philadelphia Marathon Florida Triathlon Barcelona Triathlon USA Half Marathon Invitational JFK 50 mile ultra-marathon

Volunteers

The MCC could not function without volunteers. In 2015, we were fortunate to have more than 1,400 hours to ensure our activities were the success they were. The MCC also benefitted from the professional support of a number of agencies around the Washington DC area. Among those we wish to recognize are:

Alexandria Police National Parks Service

Volunteering at MCC events are excellent ways for our youth to complete school-related community service hours. If you would like to learn more about opportunities in 2016, please contact Mike, our Director of Volunteers, at volunteer@mc-coop.org.

Sponsors The Marathon Charity Cooperation is fortunate to have the solid support of a number of sponsors throughout the year. Our activities are a way to connect people and organizations throughout the area. Below, please find a listing of those we call not just supporters, but friends on our shared path to helping others:

Allergy & Asthma Network Moe’s Southwest Grill

Pacers Running Running Brooke

Six Half Dozen Design Studio Marked Productions Virginia Paving Road ID

Grant Thornton Sports Authority Race Packet Cabot

If you or a business you know wishes to join us…we’d love to have them! It’s a great way to get their name in front of thousands of people across the Virginia, Maryland and DC areas while promoting the well-being of children locally and globally…please have them contact us at sponsor@mc-coop.org.

Charity Partners The Marathon Charity Cooperation exists to help our Partners accomplish their important and critical programs. These organizations are run by volunteers, who sacrifice their spare time and give freely with their talent to change our communities and neighborhoods for the better run all of these organizations. If you are interested in becoming a charity partner or associate partner, please contact Subhash at vp@mc-coop.org for more information!

AIMS is an organization that seeks to bring about a social transformation in India through the collective efforts of hundreds of thousands of like-minded people and organizations spread wide across the globe. Our mission is to bring people together for the lofty purpose of bringing about a positive transformation in our motherland India, to achieve a vision of economically self-sufficient and a socially harmonious country that serves as a beacon of light to the rest of the world. AIMS will use the MCC grant to support 2 critical schools in India. The first school will be a school for mentally challenged children. The second school will be a school building for rural cerebral palsy and mentally challenged children. For more information, contact Sada at marathon@aimsindia.net 2015 Grant: $13,000

AAICT is dedicated to provide children with unparalleled care and treatment for cancer and catastrophic diseases regardless of their

American Asian Indian Charitable Trust

AIMS India Foundation

family's ability to pay and provide them and their families with a world class facility. This year, AAICT will commit the MCC grant to help two children who have no access to care while confronting debilitating diseases – Hodgkin Lymphoma. A 15 year old and 12 year old boys will now have access to chemotherapy treatments with excellent prognosis. For more information, contact Subhash at subhash@tsecorp.com 2015 Grant: $11,100.

Association for India's Development (AID) is a volunteer movement promoting sustainable, equitable and just development. AID supports grassroots’ organizations in India and initiates efforts in interconnected spheres, such as agriculture, energy, education, health, livelihood, natural resources, women’s empowerment and social justice. This year, AID will use the Marathon Charity Cooperation grant to help complete a Kondh tribal school project. This education initiative will take place in the Kondh tribal community – one of the areas with the lowest literacy rate in India -- 5% vs 52% nation-wide. The education project will help start 12 schools supporting 15 remote villages. Each school will host 20 students or more. The objective of each school is to get the children to the 3rd grade level, allowing them to progress to the next level. The funds will help provide teachers’ salaries, school materials, food and travel expenses to sustain the school. For more information, contact Rishi at amar@udel.edu 2015 Grant: $1,900

BHM supports community-based backpack medics who administer village healthcare services in isolated regions of eastern and northern Burma. Our priority is preventive and responsive care for children and pregnant women. The MCC’s 2015 grant will support 1 backpack medic team operating in Karen State, Burma. The team, based in Dooplaya village, has 4 medics, 4 village health volunteers and 8 traditional birth assistants. The team supports 566 households and just over 3,000 men, women and children.

Burma Humanitarian Mission

Association for India’s Development

In 2016, the MCC grant will provide:

65,250 doses of basic medicine 7,480 doses of anti-malarial medicines 1,614 pieces of medical supply items

In 2015, the backpack medics have achieved a number of significant achievements. Most notably, across 16 BHM supported backpack teams, no mothers died as a result of childbirth. BHM medics supported 579 births so far in 2015. Historically, 1 in 12 mothers do not survive childbirth. Given the remoteness of many villages and the isolation from contemporary support facilities, this accomplishment is truly remarkable. MCC’s generosity postures the Dooplaya medic team to continue this positive and critical trend into 2016. For more information, contact Mike at Isherwood@burmamission.org 2015 Grant: $3,400

High Cloud Foundation is dedicated to providing support to thousands of children living in extreme poverty here in the local area, nationwide and across the world. When you support High Cloud, know that you are serving as an inspiration to children who live in extreme poverty and that they look up to you as their role models in every way High Cloud Foundation will commit the $3,100 MCC grant to furthering its mission of compassion. Among the programs supported, High Cloud will:

Support the Child and Family Network Center in Alexandria VA with a projector, movies and books to build a library. High Cloud’s support will include tricycles and a shed to store the tricycles. We will also provide dental kits for the children and work with the teachers and parents to develop workshops on proper hygienic habits.

Meet the critical needs of the homeless in Arlington and Alexandria by providing them with $500 worth of food via the Arlington-Alexandria Coalition for the Homeless http://www.aachhomeless.org/. During the month of February, the High Cloud athletes will go to several homeless shelters to deliver food and basic hygiene and sanitation supplies to the homeless.

High Cloud Foundation

Provide $500 to the DC Diaper Bank to provide an adequate amount of diapers to distribute to low income families in the Northern Virginia Area. In DC, 44% of children under age 3 live in low-income families. In Maryland the number is 33% and in Virginia 36%. The DC Diaper Bank has donated over 203,000 diapers to families in need and the High Cloud team will contribute to this meaningful endeavor by distributing $500 worth of diapers to these communities. http://www.dcdiaperbank.org/distribution-sites/

Provide $1,100 to support treatment for children with tumors/Neurofibromatosis

For more information, contact Adriana & Matt Anderson at founder@highcloud.org 2015 Grant: $3,100

Hope for Tomorrow (HOPE) is dedicated to providing health-care, human services, and educational assistance to under privileged communities. We work in collaboration with various groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver humanitarian goods, services, and relief to impoverished regions. The team is comprised of professionals with a broad spectrum of experiences. The combined mission trips of our team span across North America, South America, South Africa, and South East Asia, bringing a variety of general and specialized disciplines to each region. In 2016, Hope for Tomorrow will transform the MCC grant into a free dental clinic hosted around the Washington Metro area. A free dental clinic day is being planned for June 2016 in Frederick, Maryland. The HOPE free dental clinic will provide Prophylaxis, Debridement, Scaling root planning, Fluoride treatments, Extractions, Restorative, Dental hygiene training and other services. The HOPE team anticipates on treating 300+ patients for the one-day dental clinic. For more information, contact Chau at cnguyen54@yahoo.com 2015 Grant: $1,800

Iqraa is a running group dedicated to supporting education for Palestinian youth. We are an all-volunteer group. Iqraa runners commit to fund-raising for education projects selected by our NGO partner, United Palestinian Appeal. We provide guaranteed entry for the Marine Corps

Hope For Tomorrow

Iqraa (Read)

Marathon. Runners participate in a training program provided by Marathon Charity Cooperation and its coaches in Washington, DC. The program culminates with the participation of Iqraa runners in the Marine Corps Marathon or Baltimore Running Festival half-marathon in October. Since 1986, United Palestinian Appeal‘s Scholarship Program has supported over 2,000 Palestinian students studying at Palestinian universities. A UPA scholarship, typically worth $1,000 per year, covers a substantial portion of a student’s tuition for the duration of their degree program at participating universities and vocational institutions in the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza Strip. Participating institutions submit a list of recommended students to UPA based on each student’s demonstrated academic excellence, financial need and desire to give back to the Palestinian community. From these recommendations, UPA accepts a number of incoming freshmen each year. Students remain in the Scholarship Program and continue to receive annual scholarships for the duration of their degree program, provided they continue to maintain a minimum overall grade average of 80%. For the 2015-2016 school year, the UPA Scholarship Program has awarded 50 scholarships to students attending nine universities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Pictured at right is a photo of current scholarship recipient Yaqin Bushkar, a Palestinian refugee from New Asker Camp in the West Bank, Palestine. She is a 2nd year computer engineering student at An-Najah University in Nablus, West Bank, Palestine. She scored a 94.7% on the Tawjihi, an exam taken after high school graduation, and has been in the Scholarship Program since 2014. “I have enrolled at An-Najah to major in computer engineering to achieve two goals,” she said. “The first is that I am fond of computer science, programming and electronics in general. The second is to utilize the acquired knowledge in serving my community, as we live in a technological era, and computers are becoming an essential element in any profession, in schools, clinics, hospitals, ministries and even the grocery store.” United Palestinian Appeal works to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians, particularly those in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and refugee camps throughout the Middle East, and to contribute to the long-term socioeconomic and cultural development of Palestinian society. For more information, contact Kirk at kirkcruachan@yahoo.com 2015 Grant: $5,700

Running Brooke Foundation

The RunningBrooke Community engages and empowers citizens to "lace up its shoes" for at-risk kids in Northern Virginia through business sponsorships, individual donations, and community running events. In turn, we make grants (100% of all donations and proceeds) to proven local charities. The 2015 MCC grant will overhaul the Taney Avenue Park in Alexandria VA. Taney Avenue Park is one of the few remaining un-programmed public lawn spaces in the City of Alexandria, and the only one in the West End. The site is adjacent to the Fox Chase Apartment complex; Patrick Henry is the local Elementary School. The student enrollment (596 as of 9/2014) is predominately African American (49%) and Hispanic (33%); 82% of the children receive free and reduced-priced meals. Of the 207 respondents from the Community Park Plan Survey, nearby residents/park users overwhelming indicated that a safe place for their children to play was the top priority. Currently, the site has no playground, and is described as “depressing.” All children deserve to have a safe place to play. It’s proven that kids who are outside and moving do better in school and have better self-esteem and overall health*. *Citations and references found on runningbrooke.org RunningBrooke will work directly with the City of Alexandria to enhance this park and build a playground to include natural play and climbing features, boulders, balancing equipment, and other child-friendly structures. Other work includes clearing of non-native brush, creating paths, repairing a split-rail fence, and creating a formal entrance to the park. There is great need to improve this park, described by residents as “scary” at night, and “depressing.” Families and children need a welcoming and safe community park with play spaces, increased lighting, widened paths, and attractive landscaping. Not only will an enhanced park encourage neighbors to get outside, move and meet each other, it will discourage negative conduct, such as loitering and public drinking. A safe space for neighborhood children to be active is imperative, and will create enhanced well-being, positive relationships and self-esteem.

For more information, contact Brooke at brooke@runningbrooke.org 2015 Grant: $9,900

Join or Donate today! We always welcome new runners, partners, sponsors and donors! Use your health to promote the well-being of children and others – in your neighborhood or around the world! You will have a very different and positive 2016!