{"id":175787,"date":"2023-11-21T16:16:24","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T21:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/?p=175787"},"modified":"2023-11-22T10:21:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T15:21:32","slug":"best-buddies-in-new-york-runs-for-inclusion-in-new-york-city-marathon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bestbuddies.org\/2023\/11\/21\/best-buddies-in-new-york-runs-for-inclusion-in-new-york-city-marathon\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Buddies in New York Runs for Inclusion in New York City Marathon"},"content":{"rendered":"
Best Buddies in New York participants, however, decided to up the ante by running instead of walking. And this was not just any run: Team Best Buddies<\/strong> ran 26.2 miles in the famed New York City Marathon.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMy college buddy and I talked about running all of the time,\u201d Samantha Bellina<\/strong>, who has been involved in Best Buddies since high school, said. \u201cIt was a great way to reconnect and talk about the race.\u201d<\/p>\n Team Best Buddies, which fielded 16 runners at the marathon, has raised $60k and is hoping to raise an additional $15k by the end of the year. This would contribute to the over $290k the runners have raised since Best Buddies in New York became a New York Road Runners Marathon Charity Partner in 2016. These funds go directly to assist all 163 of Best Buddies in New York\u2019s Friendship chapters, 60 Best Buddies Jobs participants and 50 Best Buddies Transitions program<\/a> participants.<\/p>\n \u201cRunning with Team Best Buddies in the New York City Marathon helps to bring us closer to a more inclusive world,\u201d Sophie Dubuisson<\/strong>, Best Buddies in New York\u2019s state director, said.<\/p>\n While most Team Best Buddies members ran for the challenge, all of them ran because of the value they find in the Best Buddies mission of inclusion.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I was going to run the marathon, I was going to run it for an organization I am really passionate about,\u201d Bellina said. \u201cI had never considered not running for Best Buddies, and it was a life-changing experience.\u201d<\/p>\n