Houston Marathon Establishes Foundation to Support Running Locally, Nationally
Posted Thursday, 11 October, 2007
HOUSTON - (October 10, 2007) - The Houston Marathon Committee, governing body of the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon and EP5K, has established a philanthropic organization to support running initiatives in the Houston area and nationwide.
"The Houston Marathon Committee wanted to find a way to support running in the community and nationally on a level that goes beyond offering a series of races once a year," says Committee President Brant Kotch. "The Houston Marathon Foundation will allow us to do that through contributions to programs and projects that promote running."
The Foundation primarily will support efforts that foster education about running and the advancement of running, and organizations that help develop running as a sport in the Houston community and nationwide. Three programs are being funded initially: the USA Distance Project, a national program that focuses on developing elite U.S. distance runners; the HARRA Kids' Race and the Texas Children's Hospital Kids' Fun Run. Foundation members will meet quarterly to review other programs for potential funding.
"We're dedicated to both the fitness and the competitive aspects of running," says Madeline Bunch, president of the Foundation and a member of the Houston Marathon Committee Board of Directors. "We hope that by supporting local projects, such as these youth runs, children will get to experience the joy of running and the importance of fitness. On a national level, we want to support the effort to make Americans successful both at home and on the international stage, and return Americans to the victory platforms at every Olympic competition."
Those interested in contributing to the Foundation, and groups interested in applying for funding from the Foundation, should contact the Houston Marathon Foundation, Inc., 720 N Post Oak Road, Suite 100, Houston, TX, 77024.
The Chevron Houston Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all 50 U.S. states and more than 30 foreign countries. The marathon offers the only closed marathon course in Texas and is ranked among the top five in the nation by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston's largest single-day sporting event. More information is available online at ChevronHoustonMarathon.com or (713) 957-3453.
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