Joe Hollendoner, CEO
In 2020, I decided to run four marathons in advance of my 40th birthday (one for each decade) and raise money for organizations whose missions I cared deeply about. Unfortunately, on March 11, 2020 (my actual birthday!), the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and my dreams of achieving this goal were dashed.
Joe running the Chicago Marathon in 2014 with his husband Bill.
As my 42nd birthday approached, I started thinking about this wild goal again and decided that I was going to go for it! I’m going to run four marathons in my 42nd year and call it – 42: Forty Take Two!!
There are still a few details to work out, but here’s my current plan: I’ll run the San Francisco Marathon in July 2023, the Chicago Marathon in October 2023, the New York Marathon in November 2023, and the Los Angeles Marathon in March 2024! I hope to raise $10,500 for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, in partnership with the Team To End AIDS, for each marathon I run, resulting in an ambitious total fundraising goal of $42,000 in one year. (Team to End AIDS is securing my spots in the Chicago and New York marathons, and a portion of the funds raised (not to exceed $5,000) will be donated to T2 if I proceed with running those events. 100% of contributions are tax-deductible as T2 is a nonprofit.*)
Running has always been something I’ve enjoyed, and I consider it to be self-care. I love it so much that I’ve run four marathons in my life, so conquering 26.2 miles isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Doing four in one year might be. I’m open to the possibility that this goal may be too much to take on, so I may revise my plans after I complete my first marathon, as with age comes wisdom (and bad knees).
If you would like to support me in this wild endeavor, please donate. You can set up a monthly reoccurring donation or a one-time donation towards my SF efforts with the plan of returning to make an additional donation after I accomplish each marathon. You can also wait until after AIDS/LifeCycle fundraising season, as I know many of you are already generously giving towards the cause.
You can also follow my progress on Instagram here.
104.8 Miles To Go,
Joe
*If you would prefer that a portion of your donation not be contributed to Team to End AIDS, please let me know.
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