Town Seeks Local Runners to Raise Funds for Two Natick Charities
January 25, 2011
The Town of Natick is pleased to offer local residents and charity runners with an opportunity to compete in the 115th Boston Marathon® on April 18, 2011. This year, the Boston Athletic Association (“BAA”) released 20 “invitational” applications to the towns along the Boston Marathon route, as a thank you for the coordination and cooperation of these communities during the Boston Marathon®. These invitational entries will allow towns along the route to raise funds for worthy community causes. These numbers are highly coveted by those who wish to run as it is limited to a certain number of runners and sold out at a record pace this year.
On Monday, January 10th, the Natick Board of Selectmen endorsed Town Administrator Martha White’s proposal to issue several of the permits to members of the Natick Police Department who run the Boston Marathon®, issue 5-6 of the permits to the Natick Fire Department to be donated to The Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center in Hopkinton – an organization long supported by Natick Firefighters, and the balance of Natick’s invitational entries being used to support the following causes:
- Bringing the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Moving Wall™ to Natick this summer www.movingwallnatick.org
Both of these charities will enable runners to raise tax-deductible donations and the Town of Natick will
work with the selected runners to enable the processing of online (credit card) donations. Details:
- The Marathon entry fee is $300, to be paid by the runner
- The minimum fundraising contribution is $2,500. Runners must guarantee this minimum fundraising level with a credit card.
- All prospective runners must submit a letter of interest no later than 5:00 pm on February 4, 2011. Letters may be hand delivered to the Town Administrator’s office in Natick Town Hall, 2nd floor or submitted by email to Maureen Fleming at mfleming@natickma.org.Letters of interest must include the runner’s name, address and phone number, designation of the charity for which funds will be raised, and indication of the amount of funds you commit to raising for the charity.
- The first five invitational entries will be made available to those runners who guarantee raising the highest total dollar amount for either/both designated charities. So, to guarantee entry into the race, you must include in your letter of interest a dollar figure at, or above, the minimum
$2,500 and be among the five highest bidding fundraisers. You will receive an invitational entry
and will be required to sign a letter of commitment to achieving your bid level of fundraising.
- The remaining invitational entry winners (anticipated to be five or more) will be restricted to
Natick residents and will be determined by lottery. The lottery will be conducted on Monday February 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Natick Town Hall. Entrants are invited to attend the lottery and winners will be notified after the drawing. In the unlikely event that there is an insufficient number of Natick residents entered in the lottery, the Town Administrator reserves the right to make alternative arrangements.
If you have an interest in seeking an invitational number to the 115th Boston Marathon, please submit your letter of interest to the Town Administrator’s office, Natick Town Hall, or mfleming@natickma.org by no later than Friday, February 4, 2011 by 5:00 p.m. The Town Administrator’s office can be reached at 508-647-6410.
