Gamma Nu Chapter - Phi Kappa Tau

Gabe Wapner, Cornell 2005, will run the Boston Marathon—the world's oldest annual marathon—April 21 to benefit Hole in the Wall Camps. He hopes to raise $5,000 for Phi Kappa Tau's national philanthropy.

Last fall, Wapner ran his first marathon in Philadelphia and qualified to run in Boston. Although he said the training and long run is “meditative” and “rewarding,” he was not excited enough just to “grind out another 26.2 [miles]—a notoriously difficult 26.2 [miles] at that.”

“I ran Philadelphia for myself and having finished, I felt content,” Wapner said. “If I was going to run another marathon I would need a greater impetus than simply finishing.”

So, he decided to dedicate his run to a cause he had only heard stories about.

“I’ve attended Phi Tau’s Leadership Academy two times,” Wapner said. “Each time, the Hole in the Wall dinner has inspired me, and I have always wanted to volunteer at a camp. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to do that. However, in being given the opportunity to run Boston, I saw the chance to personally give to Hole in the Wall.”

Wapner hopes that potential donors will think about how much “they value their carefree, active childhood.” He believes that even a small donation will make a difference in the lives of children who would not have “carefree, active fun” without it.

“I chose to run the Boston Marathon to help ensure that a few more kids get to run and play to their hearts’ content this summer,” Wapner said.

To help Wapner reach his $5,000 goal, visit his Hole in the Wall page.

Original article on The Link