Moderators, please let me know if this is not allowed, and I will happily take down.
------
Fellow Rice Fans:
I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
For those of you that don’t know me, I graduated from Rice in 2006 (Lovett). I was Sammy the Owl my senior year. I started running in college as off-season training for Club Water Polo. I transitioned over to triathlon as a hobby after college and competed at the Ironman World Championships in 2015.
I am excited to announce that I am running for charity for the 2020 Boston Marathon, which will take place on April 20, 2020. The Boston Marathon, which is one of the longest continuously run marathons in the world (since 1897) and a World Marathon Major, is a dream for any runner.
Natalie and I moved to Boston this past summer as I complete the final year of medical training in Breast Cancer Imaging. Natalie is a Pediatrician for the Greater Roslindale Medical and Dental Center, a community health clinic for Boston Medical Center. Boston Medical Center is the largest safety-net hospital and level 1 trauma center in New England. For those from Houston, think Ben Taub. As much of the revenue from the hospital comes from Medicare and Medicaid, charitable donations are a significant source of funding.
I am honored to run the Boston Marathon on behalf of Team Boston Medical Center (Team BMC). I will be kicking off my fundraising this Giving Tuesday (December 3) with a personal donation to my campaign of $3,000 and I am hoping that you will join me in helping to raise an additional $3,000 on Tuesday. I will be continue to fundraise throughout the marathon training season up to Marathon Monday on April 20, 2020, with an overall fundraising goal of $12,000.
Important Questions:
Why donate?
Natalie and I have always felt lucky that we have had health insurance, either through our parents, the military, or with our employers. A significant number of Americans however are not as fortunate, including many patients that receive care at Natalie’s clinic. Your donation will help ensure that the least fortunate can receive medical care regardless of their ability to pay.
Where can I donate?
The easiest way to donate is on my fundraising page:
https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campai...ukegilman1
You can also donate by cash or check, directly to BMC. Please send me an email if you would like the physical address to send a donation directly to BMC. Any donation, large or small, is appreciated!
When should I donate?
You can donate at any time between now and the marathon. An important note, the John Hancock Initiative will donate $1,000 to the top 10 individual campaigns that raise the most money this Giving Tuesday (December 3). As a reminder, charitable donations that are completed by December 31 will count towards 2019 tax donations.
I want to help your fundraising efforts. What else can I do?
-Many businesses will match charitable donations by their employees. If you are interested in donating and would like information to give to your business/employer, please contact me directly.
-If you would like to share the fundraising link with family and friends by email or social media, that would be awesome. Natalie is the more social media savvy of the two of us, but any social media sharing is appreciated!
As a thank you for your donations, I have added the following incentives:
$1,000: Your name or business be worn on my race day singlet. You will also receive two (2) Team BMC t-shirts and name at the top of my fundraising page.
$500: Two (2) Team BMC t-shirts and name at the top of my fundraising page.
$100: Name at the top of my fundraising page.
Thank you again for your generosity!
Luke