Hi Team!

It was a pleasure meeting a few of you at the Reny small team dinner this week. I enjoyed learning more about each of you and your motivation for running with Team Stepping Strong. During the evening, a question came up about how to talk about the Stepping Strong Center’s work and our definition of traumatic injury. 

I’ve shared our elevator pitch and definition below and hope you find this helpful in your fundraising efforts.

Elevator Pitch: 

Founded by survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation transforms how we prevent, treat, and recover from traumatic injury—the number one cause of death for people under 44 in the United States. Through research grants, educational programs, and patient-focused initiatives, the center unites healthcare professionals to develop innovative treatments that revolutionize trauma care and rebuild lives.

Definition of Traumatic Injury:

Traumatic injury is sudden intentional or unintentional exposure to an external force, object, or substance resulting in severe or life-threatening bodily harm. Examples include, but are not limited to, injuries from motor vehicle crashes, violence, blasts, drownings, natural disasters, and falls.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if I can assist with anything throughout the remainder of your marathon season. On behalf of the team, we wish you all the best of luck with your training and can’t wait to cheer for you on Marathon Monday!

Cheryl Lang

P.S. Be sure to check out the following one-pagers as they have great information for you and your donors:

• What we Do_We We Impact
• The Value of Trauma Research
• FAQs

We hope your training and fundraising efforts are going well as we get closer to Marathon Monday. Below are this week’s key updates and reminders to help you stay on track.

Donor Support

Please share my contact information with your donors and encourage them to reach out with any questions or concerns regarding their gifts. I am happy to help manage and triage inquiries quickly and appropriately.

• Email: marathonteam@bwh.harvard.edu
• Number: 857 505 1225

Marathon Madness

Congratulations to our January winners:

• Three-way tie for most funds raised: Luis B., Robin V., and Linda S.
• Most individual donations received: Elise W.

Thank you for your incredible efforts – swag is headed your way!

Team Office Hours

Office hours are available for questions, fundraising guidance, or general support. Please drop in at any of the times below:

• Friday, 2/6
  • 8:00–8:30am: https://mgb-org.zoom.us/j/3274495934?omn=85802435925
  • 12:00–12:30pm: https://mgb-org.zoom.us/j/3274495934?omn=86453307270
• Monday, 2/9
  • 5:30–6:00pm: https://mgb-org.zoom.us/j/3274495934?omn=83177789326
• Wednesday, 2/18
  • 8:30–9:00am: https://mgb-org.zoom.us/j/3274495934?omn=83193091649
• Friday, 2/20
  • 12:30–1:00pm: https://mgb-org.zoom.us/j/3274495934?omn=88039061029
• Tuesday, 2/24
  • 5:15–5:45pm: https://mgb-org.zoom.us/j/3274495934?omn=86879138047

Virtual Team Gathering

There are still spots available for the 2/24 virtual gathering with the Reny’s, click here to RSVP!

Training & Coaching Support

Coach John Furey continues to provide training guidance for runners of all experience levels. Team training runs remain an excellent opportunity to build mileage, connect with fellow runners, and stay motivated. I will be there on Saturday to support you at the first waterstop, so be sure to say hello!

Submit your photos!

Make sure to send us your photos for a marathon weekend surprise! Click here to share with us!

Fundraising Tip

Reach out directly to a small group of people who know you well with a personalized message rather than a broad social media post. A short, sincere email or text explaining why you’re running and what the Stepping Strong Center means to you often results in higher-impact gifts. Even 5–10 individual outreach messages can make a big difference! And remember no response doesn’t mean no!

From start to finish,

Ali

Thank you so much to everyone who was able to join us last night for the second team meeting – it was great meeting, re-connecting and walking through everything together!

If you weren’t able to attend, no worries at all. You can review the PowerPoint slides by CLICKING HERE.

The slides cover everything we discussed, and they’re a great reference as you move forward. If you have any questions after reviewing, or if anything is unclear, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thanks again for being part of the team, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead!

From start to finish,

Ali

P.S. A quick reminder that the Saturday morning long run (1/30) has changed! This will no longer be a Riverside run and will instead be an out-and-back route (10–12 miles). The start time has been pushed to 11:30am, and doors to Joint Ventures will open at 11:15am. Be sure to check out John’s weekly email for more details—click here to read more.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone tonight at our second team meeting from 6:00–7:30 p.m. Please use the Zoom link below to join us!

Can’t make it? No worries — the PowerPoint will be shared on Friday for you to review, and if you have any questions, we’re happy to schedule 1:1 time to connect.

Zoom link: https://mgb-org.zoom.us/j/3944762219
Meeting ID: 394 476 2219

Boston.com – Why I’m Running

Marathon Monday is eleven weeks away! You all have incredible stories behind why you are running for the Stepping Strong Marathon Team and we wanted to encourage you to submit your “Why I’m Running” to potentially be featured on Boston.com. We have had runners from our team featured in the past and it’s a great way to get your fundraising page out there to a bigger audience. You can review other submissions here for inspiration and submit your stories for this year utilizing the instructions below. 

Boston.com Submission Instructions

Share your story in 300 words or less for Boston.com’s “Why I’m Running” series by emailing community@boston.com.

Please include the following:

• First and last name
• Age
• City/State/Country
• A photo of yourself
• Why are you running in the 2026 Boston Marathon? (300 words or less)
• A link to your fundraising page

If you need assistance or would like us to review your write-up before submitting, please just let us know!

From start to finish,

Ali

Let’s add a little fun (and friendly competition) to fundraising this week…we’re kicking off a 48-Hour fundraising sprint!

From now through Friday at 11am EST, the two runners who raise the most money during this window will each win TWO tickets to the Celtics vs. Bucks game this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. All new, online, donations made between now and the deadline count🍀

This is the perfect excuse to:

• Send that follow-up text
• Post one more social ask
• Make a “help me get to the finish line” appeal

Good luck!

Ali

P.S. Don’t forget about our second team meeting tomorrow (1/29) which will be held virtually from 6:00–7:30 PM. RSVP for the team meeting HERE.