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“Thank You” Doesn’t Come Close to Expressing Our Gratitude…But It’s a Start!
We here at The Mari Hall Family Foundation are in full decompression mode after our inaugural fundraising effort, Mari’s Miles of Smiles 2010, went off on September 25. We are so grateful to those of you who participated, either at the awesome Family Fun K behind Norton School, or on the course during the 10K. We are very pleased to have raised the money we did, which will be poured right back into our community. However, we are equally pleased at the goodwill generated and the positive feedback we have received about the effort. It was a long time planning, and preparing, but believe me – it was all worth it.
Beyond the funds raised, then, we received so much more by way of your support. Wishing I could personally tell each of you how much you mean to us, but knowing that is not possible, please accept my heartfelt thanks. The community of runners, the community of parents of kids with challenges, and the Cheshire community in general are very generous. Thank you for giving back.
Mari's Miles of Smiles 2010
Turning to our showcase event, it was a surprisingly hot and humid morning. Runners from all over Connecticut and beyond showed up for the 10K. In all, 193 runners finished the course. We’re so inspired by and proud of you. Mario Longo (38) of Cheshire, CT took first place among the men with a time of 39:20. Rebecca Webber (23) also of Cheshire, CT took first place among the women with a time of 44:26. We also have to mention our youngest and oldest runners who demonstrated anything is possible and continue to be the source of marvel and fascination: Brendan Murray (9) with a time of 42:58 and Bob Davidson (81) with a time of 1:08:37. Wow! Thank you so much for your participation!
 
In the back of Norton School, the Family Fun K drew hundreds of children, parents and friends. With their running bibs affixed to their shirts, the "gun" went off and the kids darted around the field 2 times. Our Mari and her siblings, Sammy and Katie, were no exception and ran around the course with big smiles on their faces. Toy medals were given to all the children. Festivities continued with moon bounces, face painting, snow cones, popcorn and apples. It was so wonderful to feel the collective support of our family, friends and community.
We also want to note that we were so pleased that our friends from Autism Spectrum Resource Center, UCAN, Cheshire Parks & Recreation (Adaptive Programs) and the Cheshire Police joined us to provide important information about their services.
Our Volunteers
We are by definition a charitable organization. Anyone who gets into charity work knows that nothing is possible without volunteers. Charity and volunteers are synonymous so our deepest, heartfelt gratitude goes out to those who volunteered not only their time, but their blood, sweat and tears. Additionally, we MUST make special mention of the following individuals:
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Loryn Watkinson
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Lisa Wnuck
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Laura Lovelace
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Bob Scanlon
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NanConlon
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Sue Laffin
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Jill LaMadeleine
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Sheldon Dill
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Jerry Sitko
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Chris Farrell
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Carolyn Garibaldi
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Jeanne Monti
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Steve Feero
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Gab Tougas
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Morgan Roche
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Lisa Drazen
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Kevin Meehan
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Phil Ricciuti
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You have our eternal admiration and respect.
Our Sponsors
This event couldn’t have happened without the generosity of so many businesses and individuals who contributed greatly, both financially and personally to this cause. First and foremost our friends Peter and Shelley Morley and Maritime Motors in Fairfield, our presenting sponsor and the catalyst for this great event. Additionally, we would like to thank the following for their support:
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Bastista Companies
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White-Bowman, Inc.
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Brodach Builders, Inc.
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Drazen Orchards
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Subway
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Harte Motors
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Cheshire Lights of Hope
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Fazzone & Ryan, LLC
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Boppers Entertainment
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Paul J. Voegeli, LLC
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People's United Bank
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Diversified Builders
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Alderson Funeral Homes
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AJ Waste Systems, LLC
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Cox Communications
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R.W. Hine ACE Hardware
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Dr. Theresa Levine
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Sally Bowman Real Estate
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Feldman Orthodontics
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Scooter School, Inc.
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United Snack Group
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Renee Kurtz Paul, DMD
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HFM Interiors, LLC
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SIGN Lite, Inc.
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ElmCityParentSource.com
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CheshireCommunity YMCA
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Mr. Tent
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Osterman & Company, Inc.
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Cornerstone Developers LLC
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Bagelicious
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Law Offices of Joseph E. Bowman, LLC
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OJ Mann Electric Services, Inc.
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Law Offices of Matthew S. Hall, LLC
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GroWell, Inc.
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Creative Dimensions, Inc.
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Finally, we must say thank you to Trailblazer and Fleet Feet for promoting our event. You're the best!
Matt Hall, President
The Mari Hall Family Foundation, Inc.
PS: Please help us get the word out Share Us
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