Marathon Medals Given To Kids With Chronic Illnesses
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- The sweat and perseverance of marathoners pays off for sick children at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Thanks to a group that hands out medals to encourage young patients.
Gigi Barnett explains how organizers collected more than 1,000 awards to donate this week.
Running a marathon takes patience, perseverance and practice. Crossing the finish line is the ultimate victory for runners.
Now, imagine taking a hard-earned medal and giving it away to a sick child. That's what hundreds of runners did for young patients at Anne Arundel Medical Center this week. It's all through a group called Medals4Mettles.
"I get to receive a medal for being brave," medal recipient, Makenzie Barrett said.
That's the message Medals4Mettles wants these kids to get. Not every marathon is the same, but it takes the same qualities to win.
"It's just to honor the fight that they did and what them and their families have gone through," Kelly Maurer, with Charm City Run said.
Maurer has collected more than 1,000 medals to donate. She said the children or their parents get to pick the medals they want. Many of them use it as symbols to stay strong in their treatment.
Charm City Run plans to continue collecting medals for children at other Maryland hospitals. Anyone who would like to donate, is asked to drop off their medal off at any one of the following Charm City Run locations:
Annapolis
1910 Towne Centre Blvd., Suite 120
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 224-9771
Baltimore
1713 Whetstone Way
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 645-8266
Bel Air
126 S. Main St.
Bel Air, MD 21014
(410) 838-3242
Clarksville
12186 Clarksville Pike
Clarksville, MD 21029
(410) 531-6846
Timonium
2045 York Rd.
Timonium, MD 21093
(410) 561-3570
Medals4Mettle is a national non-profit organization that collects earned finishers' medals from half marathoners, marathoners and triathletes. The medals are presented to children and adult patients who are fighting chronic or life-threatening illnesses.
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