A Watertown man has decided to run the Boston Marathon for the first time to raise money for the hospital that cared for his young son when he needed surgery.
John Airasian has pledged to raise $10,000 for Boston Children’s Hospital, and hopes to surpass that amount. He wants to help the people who helped his son.
“A few years back, my son Michael was admitted into Children’s Hospital to have an internal cyst removed from his throat and I was able to witness the care that all the Doctor’s, Nurses and Staff at BCH give,” Airasian said. “I realized that I wanted to help in some way.”
Although he has run a number of half marathons, this will be Airasian’s first marathon.
“My family and I try to do as much as we can within Watertown, but this was an opportunity for me to expand a little bit,” he said. “My boys had gotten a little older and my wife Jackie was on board, so we decided to give it a shot. I was fortunate to gain an entry running for the Miles for Miracles Team through Boston Children’s Hospital.”
Airasian does not consider himself a runner, but said he enjoys running and recently began entering races.
“I certainly don’t participate in these to try and win,” Airasian said. “For me the real enjoyment comes out of training and the competition against myself and in this instance, supporting a great organization.”
To help reach his fundraising goal, Airasian will host an event on Friday, March 1, from 6-9 p.m. at the Newton Elks, 429 Centre St., Newton.
Tickets cost $25 per person or $40 per couple. Kids get in free. There will be a DJ, games, food, popcorn, a 50/50 raffle and other prizes, and a cash bar
For more information click here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/403044050470992/
Donations can be made to Airasian’s fundraising effort by clicking here: