Back Bay Resident To Run Marathon For Samaritans

Article info and text provided by Kirstie Crawford and the Samaritans: 

Kirstie Crawford, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who now resides in the Back Bay, will run in the 116th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16, 2012. By running, Kirstie will help Samaritans raise needed funds to support suicide prevention programs.

The John Hancock Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program graciously donated official race entries to the Samaritans, a suicide prevention organization serving the Greater Boston and Metro West area and based on Tremont St. next to the Park St. T stop.  John Hancock Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program made the donation to help Samaritans generate awareness about the issue of suicide, educate the public about suicide prevention, and raise much-needed funds.

Kirstie is one of the fifteen running for Samaritans, and the Boston Marathon will be her first ever marathon.  She initially got involved with Samaritans as a helpline volunteer a year ago, helping to answer calls from individuals who were feeling desperate, lonely or suicidal. Her passion for Samaritans’ mission and work led her to becoming a member of staff in October. Kirstie has spent the last 20 years working on a voluntary basis to reduce the stigma of mental health illnesses especially in the media. She is running in honor and memory of her father, Ian Crawford, who passed away over six years ago following a serious illness. He was a marathon runner.

“It is an honor and privilege to be part of Samaritans 2012 Marathon Team,” said Crawford. “Running to raise funds and awareness about the critical suicide prevention activities that Samaritans carries out each and every day is a powerful motivator. Preparing physically to run the marathon has taken a lot of effort, but the knowledge that I am helping Samaritans save lives has kept me going.”

With Kirstie’s help, the 2012 Samaritans Marathon Team has already raised over $80,000. All proceeds will benefit Samaritans’ suicide prevention services.

“Supporting the work of Samaritans is needed now more than ever,” added Crawford. “With the struggles brought on by today’s economy, people are worried about their own financial situations and many are losing hope. The volunteers at Samaritans are there for these people twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I am thrilled to be running and fundraising for such a worthy cause.”

As a part of the John Hancock Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program, runners have agreed to raise at least $5,000 for Samaritans. For more than 15 years, the John Hancock charity program has helped 6,000 marathon runners raise millions of dollars on behalf of Boston-area organizations. This year, Samaritans was chosen as one of more than 50 non-profits to participate as a part of the program.

“We are so grateful to have received marathon numbers through John Hancock,” said Roberta Hurtig, Executive Director of Samaritans. “The stigma and misinformation that surrounds the discussion of suicide and suicide prevention is an unfortunate reality. By educating the public about this important issue while raising funds to support Samaritans’ programs, our marathon runners are performing a tremendous service to our organization and the community at large. They are helping to save lives.”

In addition to Kirstie, ten other runners have joined the Samaritans Team through the John Hancock Marathon Program: Marc Bellanger (Westwood, MA), Nicole Costa (Cambridge, MA), Andrew Donovan (Weymouth, MA), Meghan Fallon (Duxbury, MA), Lila Flavin (Cambridge, MA), Brenda Kline (Dracut, MA), Samantha Joseph (Boston, MA), Nancy Rappaport (Cambridge, MA), Jeff Rubino (Haverhill, MA) and Naomi Schwartz (Weymouth, MA). Four additional runners have also joined the Samaritans Team but received their bib numbers through other sources: Kim Gagnon-McNiff (Franklin, MA), Kevin Quinlan (Carlisle, MA), Isabel Thottam (Boston, MA) and Mike Struppa (East Boston, MA).

All funds raised will directly support Samaritans’ services, including their 24/7 crisis helpline, which answered more than 150,000 calls last year. Funds will also support community outreach efforts at local schools and workshops, as well as grief support services for individuals and communities that have been impacted by suicide.

The Samaritans is the premier suicide prevention organization, serving the Greater Boston and Metrowest areas. Over the past 38 years, Samaritans volunteers have answered more than 1.5 million phone calls to its 24/7 and Samariteens telephone hotlines. The agency has also trained more than 4,000 volunteers and instructed more than 100,000 individuals through its community education and outreach programs. Thousands of individuals and families have been helped through the Samaritans’ grief support groups.

For more information on the Samaritans please visit www.samaritanshope.org or call 617-536-2460.  The Samaritans Statewide Toll Free Helpline is 877-870-HOPE (4673).