As Executive Director at U2FP, I believe very strongly in the work we do to expedite curative therapies for SCI. This will be my first marathon. And while I'm very nervous about my first marathon at 55, I thought it’d be a great way to support our work. I had the opportunity to meet, watch, and cheer on our team members at last year's race, which was very motivating.
My son, Gabe, is paralyzed from an accident back in 2008. He is why I do this work. After he was injured, I promised I wouldn’t cut my hair until he got out of his chair. So I had very long dreadlocks up until this past year when I took the ED position at U2FP. So, maybe running a marathon is amends for breaking my promise to Gabe.
Current City: Minneapolis, MN
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Race Goal: Finishing before the sun sets
Unite 2 Fight Paralysis is proud to be an official charity team for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2018. Team U2FP is a group of passionate, hard working runners and wheelchair racers committed to racing the 26.2 miles and fundraising to advance research towards a cure for spinal cord injury.
The team raised over $105,000 in the past three years. All funds directly support our mission: to cure paralysis through advocacy, education, and support for research. Thank you for your support!
| Supporters | |||
| Name | Date | Amount | Comments |
| Marilyn W. Munk | 11/05/2018 | $100.00 | Fit 4 Recovery | 10/07/2018 | $50.00 | Matthew, I'm inspired and now will have a time to beat for when I take the course for U2FP in 2019. | Brad and Jen Williams | 10/07/2018 | $125.00 | Go get em Matt! Just keep running. | Margaret Lloyd | 10/06/2018 | $20.00 | Sharon Drennan | 10/06/2018 | $25.00 | Proud of you Matthew! | Joe and Cindy Christian | 10/05/2018 | $100.00 | We will be thinking of you! | Jocelyn Maffin | 10/05/2018 | $10.00 | You’ll survive :) we’re with you! | Scott Levine | 10/05/2018 | $20.00 | Melissa Pitts | 10/02/2018 | $50.00 | Jamie Ruiz | 10/02/2018 | $10.00 | Allie Leatherman | 09/25/2018 | $20.00 | Samantha Drost | 09/25/2018 | $25.00 | James Leatherman | 09/25/2018 | $20.00 | Jennie Fletty | 09/25/2018 | $25.00 | So Happy to Help Out, Run Safe! | Marilyn Smith | 09/25/2018 | $10.00 | Thanks for being a U2FP Champion! | Zoë Says Go Band | 09/24/2018 | $1,000.00 | Rock it, Matthew! All proceeds from our new album sales support U2FP. Get one at zoesaysgo.com | Paul Harstad | 09/21/2018 | $100.00 | Keep up the good work. Gabe and the SCI community are surely grateful for your relentless commitment, long hair or otherwise! | Tim Neary | 09/20/2018 | $200.00 | Adrienne Segovia | 09/14/2018 | $100.00 | Jean Merry | 09/14/2018 | $100.00 | Jean Merry | 09/14/2018 | $100.00 | Joe Hennen | 08/09/2018 | $30.00 | It’s a safe bet that Matthew will need hip and knee replacements after this race. Nice job though you’re the man! | Velo Amis | 08/06/2018 | $2,200.00 | Rebecca Carpenter | 07/19/2018 | $200.00 | Cody Mikl | 07/18/2018 | $50.00 | Patricia Karczewski | 07/18/2018 | $100.00 | Be safe! Much love to you! ❤️ | Kathy Zappa | 07/17/2018 | $50.00 | You got this, Matthew! | Sam Maddox | 07/17/2018 | $50.00 | Dude, I ran my first marathon at age 53. You can do this❗️ Build a strong base. Work on your core. You have to log the miles and get those long runs in on the weekends. You’re going to learn things about your body you never knew. But it’s a worthy thing you’re doing. | Jodell Swenson | 07/17/2018 | $50.00 | One foot in front of the other | Dave Dvorak | 07/17/2018 | $200.00 | You're the man. Go get 'em! | Joe Dailey | 07/17/2018 | $75.00 | Run, Matthew, Run! Trust me, it's not that far! I'll be with you in spirit and try to channel my former running abilities and stamina to you. | Nancy Tibbetts | 07/17/2018 | $20.00 | Luke Short | 07/17/2018 | $100.00 | You can do it! | Karen Miner | 07/17/2018 | $25.00 | Sure wish you guys would make PayPal an option. | Anonymous Friend | 04/08/2018 | $5.00 | You'll do great, Matthew! I'm looking forward to cheering you on come race day! |
| Total | $5,365.00 | ||