Framingham Should Use Marathon Numbers to Fund Town Projects.
Each year the Boston Athletic Association gives communities on the marathon route free marathon entries. This is in addition to compensation for costs incurred. The towns can do whatever they want with the bibs. Many communities use the bibs to raise funds for town projects. Hopkinton held a lottery benefiting the library and senior center. Ashland raised around $50,000 for a food pantry and community outreach program. Natick raised money to bring the Vietnam Moving Wall to Natick. Wellesley funded scholarships and helped its veterans.
Framingham's 20 bibs are distributed to the Town Manager, Selectmen, Police & Fire Chiefs. In the past some of the bibs have raised money for legitimate town causes. Others have been given to charities, used to raise money for fire station fitness equipment and handed out to police officers and their families. The emphasis has never been to benefit Framingham residents.
The Town Meeting Standing Committee on Community Services unanimously approved measures proposing that a lottery be implemented for the 20 Framingham bibs. Any Framingham resident who commits to raising a designated amount for a designated town cause would be entered into the lottery. The Town Manager would be in charge of the lottery and the funds. The Community Services Committee would prioritize town projects to be funded.
It is up to the Town Manager and Selectmen to approve the Community Services Committee plan. They should know that charities can request bibs directly from the BAA. They should decide that the town bibs should be used for town projects.
Thank you.
Town Meeting Member, Precinct 9
[This letter appears in the September 18, 2013 Metrowest Daily News]
PROGRESS!!!
On Tuesday, November 29, 2013, Framingham Secectmen voted 5 in-favor, 0 against to instate a lottery for the 20 Framingham town bibs. "Under the new, more organized approach, all Framingham residents and town and school employees could apply to be in the running, Town Manager Robert Halpin said. Each recipient must commit to raise money to benefit the local programs, projects or charities that selectmen and the police chief nominate to be beneficiaries".
This article appeared in the November 1, 2013 Framingham Tab
VICTORY!!!
The new process for selecting the runners to use the Framingham bibs for the Boston Marathon is official. A press release explaining who is eligible for the lottery is posted on the town website, along with the application form to enter tje lottery. All Framingham residents and town employees willing to raise money for deisgnated town causes will now have an opportunity to take place in this fantastic event that passes through our streets. Framingham programs will now benefit from the Framingham bibs!
FRAMINGHAM — Eligible runners are invited to enter the town's lottery drawing for a chance to win a 2014 Boston Marathon bib.
This article appeared in the November 7, 2013 Metrowest Daily News
Framingham Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to revise the process for allocating the 25 Boston Marathon invitational entries, which the Boston Athletic Association will provide to Town of Framingham for the 2014 Boston Marathon scheduled for April 21.
Applications for runners interested in participating in the random selection process for these coveted invitational entry numbers are available on the Town of Framingham website for downloading or at the Board of Selectmen Office in the Memorial Building.
The application submission deadline is Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 4 p.m.
Submissions of completed applications can be made via email to MarathonBibs@framinghamma.gov or by drop off or mail to the Framingham Board of Selectmen, Marathon Invitational Entries, 150 Concord St., Memorial Building, Framingham MA, 01702.
Highlights from the adopted “guiding principles and procedures” for the allocation of the invitational entries are as follows:
The Town will utilize a random selection process to allocate 25 invitational entry applications for the 2014 Boston Marathon. The random selection will be held on Thursday, Dec. 5 in the evening and will be open to the public. The applicant must be the person who will be running the Boston Marathon.
Framingham residents or employees of the Town of Framingham and Framingham Public Schools will be eligible to enter the random selection process provided they commit to a fundraising effort to support one of several charities, non-profits, or programs to be designated.
There will be a finite number of charities, non-profits, and programs selected by the Board of Selectmen and Chief of Police. Runners selected by the random selection process will be required to choose one of the designated charities, non-profits or programs to conduct fund raising for.
The selection of the list of eligible charities, non-profits and programs will reflect that 2014 is a transition year and the process will be refined in future years.
Runners selected by random selection will commit to a minimum fundraising target of $500 in support of one of the designated charities, non-profits or programs but an expectation that they try to reach a target of $2,000. The minimum target may be increased from year to year as we transition to the new approach.
The Town Of Framingham will promote the concept of ‘Team Framingham’ or similar brand and will encourage runners selected to run to do two things: first, get connected to a marathon training mentor; and second, participate in a Town sponsored fundraising seminar.
The runner must be 18 years of age or older on April 21, 2014. This is a BAA requirement.
The runner is responsible for the $325 “invitational fee” paid to the Boston Athletic Association as part of the application process. This is a BAA requirement.
Participants are encouraged to begin a running program prior to the actual selection of the team so that they will have a good “base” for the rigorous training necessary to be fully prepared for the April 21, 2014 marathon.
Training for and running in a marathon is a physically challenging and demanding undertaking. It is strongly recommended that applicants meet with their primary care physician before engaging in this program, particularly those individuals who have not run before or those who have not engaged in long distance running.
Inquiries or questions can be sent to MarathonBibs@framinghamma.gov, or via the Board of Selectmen/Town Manager’s Office at 508-532-5400
This article appeared in the November 7, 2013 Framingham Patch
Lucky Winners!
76 runners volunteered to run the Boston Marathon as part of Team Framingham. From the 76, 25 were randomely selected and will be issued official bibs.
The Town of Framingham received 25 invitational entries from the Boston Athletic Association for the April 21, 2014 running of the Boston Marathon.
On Thursday Dec. 5, the Town of Framingham held the random selection drawing to choose the 25 members of Team Framingham for the upcoming Boston Marathon.
The following Team Framingham runners were selected: Dorreen Dickinson, Katelyn Roche, Gail Gregory, Michele Tibbert, Mary Fitterer, Richard Coe, Cori Sage, Joseph Mazzola, Katherine Schneider, Michelle Itzkowitz, Melissa Wells, Brooks Church, David Wells, John Greeley, Laura Grome, Lorelei Capuzzi, Kevin Murphy, Brianna Stefanini, Vernon Turner, Suzanne Chiapowski, Stuart Hurowitz, Beth Lawson, Matthew Warren, Ellen Vedora and Joseph Kynoch.
Sixteen additional names were drawn to form an ordered “wait list." The “wait list” runners will be added to the team in the event a team member decides to drop out. At this time one “wait list” runner has already been named to the team.
The runners are in the process of selecting from one of the following six organizations to raise funds on behalf of:
- Boys and Girls Club of Framingham
- Framingham Education Foundation
- Framingham Youth Initiative (FYI) for the Arts
- Friends of the Callahan Senior Center
- Resiliency for Life
- Pearl Street Cupboard and Café
An update is being sent to the Team Framingham runners this week with important information on the BAA application process, training opportunities through the Greater Framingham Running Club, fundraising, and
equipment. Team meetings will be set up for January 2014.
Inquiries or questions can be sent to MarathonBibs@framinghamma.gov or by the Board of Selectmen/Town Manager’s Office at 508-532-5400.
This article appeared in the December 17, 2013 Framingham Patch
Team Framingham Fundraising Breaks $22,000 Mark
Team Framingham is comprised of the 25 Framingham residents and town employees who were randomly selected in December to receive invitational entries from the Boston Athletic Association for the April 21, 2014 running of the Boston Marathon. A fundraising obligation is required of those who received the invitational entry. The minimum fundraising commitment is $ 500 with a goal of $ 2000.
The runners are in the process of raising funds for one of the following six organizations:
- Boys and Girls Club of Framingham (7 runners)
- Framingham Education Foundation (7 runners)
- Framingham Youth Initiative (FYI) for the Arts (2 runners)
- Friends of the Callahan Senior Center (3 runners)
- Resiliency for Life (2 runners)
- Pearl Street Cupboard and Café (4 runners)
As of Sunday March 9th Team Framingham runners have raised $22,504.20. The top runners, having raised more than $1000 each to date, are: Vernon Turner (Resiliency for Life) $3005; Beth
Lawson (Framingham Education Foundation) $ 2425; Lorelei Capuzzi (Boys and Girls Club) $2275; Gail Gregory (Boys and Girls Club) $2206; Katherine Schneider (Pearl Street Cupboard) $2076; Mary Fitterer (Framingham Education Foundation) $ 1631; Richard Coe (Pearl Street Cupboard) $1177.20; and Laura Grome (Resiliency for Life) $1050.
The fundraising totals by organization stands at: Boys and Girls Club $6716; Framingham Education Foundation $5732; Pearl Street Cupboard $4176.20; Resiliency for Life $4055; FYI for the Arts $1414; and Friends of Callahan Senior Center $414. To date, there is 1 runner who has raised more than $3000; 4 runners who have raised between $2000 and $2999; 3 runners who have raised between $1000 and $1999; 7 runners who have raised between $500 and $999; 7 runners who have raised between $1 and $499; 2 runners who have yet to start their fundraising; and 1 runner who has not yet set up a web-site for fundraising.
Information about the fundraising can be found on the Town of Framingham web-site, along with links to the
runners’ fundraising pages. Please support our Team Framingham runners and the six worthy organizations by visiting the web-site and making a
donation today. Inquiries or questions can be sent to MarathonBibs@framinghamma.gov or by the Board of Selectmen/Town Manager’s Office at 508-532-5400.
This information was made available by the Town in Mid March
Team Framingham is still running strong for its charities.The 25 runners, who were awarded bibs for the 2014 Boston Marathon by the Town of Framingham, as of Tuesday raised $51,438.55, said Framingham Selectman Mike Bower, who also ran the Boston Marathon, and was a honorary member of Team Framingham.This year, the Town of Framingham decided to hold a lottery for the 25 bibs allotted to the community.As of Tuesday this is what was raised for each of six charities:
- Framingham Education Foundation $ 13,301
- Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest $12,426
- Pearl Street Cupboard $8,443.35
- Resiliency for Life $7,321
- Friends of Callahan Senior Center $5,348
- FYI for the Arts $4,599.20
All 25 runners have attained the minimum fundraising obligation of $500, said Bower. Click here to see how each Team Framingham runner did for time and to donate to their charity.Bower, said the Team Framingham runners can continue to collect donations through May 31.Bower said the program was very successful in its first year and he plans to recommend the Town repeat it again next year. He said partnering with the Greater Framingham Running Club gave the team member advice and training from experts.The Team Framingham shirts each runner is wearing was designed by FYI for the Arts co-founder Nancie Handy, whose charity was one of the six Team Framingham supported.
This article was posted in the Framingham Patch on April 26, 5 days after the Marathon
