Living Center selected as a Boston Marathon charity

The Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the Boston Marathon, selected the Boston Living Center as one of its 24 official charities for the next three years, making it the only HIV/AIDS charity selected for the program. Nate Stell, development coordinator for the Living Center, said participating in the program will bring in anywhere from $45,000 to more than $100,000 for the Living Center in 2008 and more funds in the two subsequent years.

The charity program gives runners who either failed to qualify for the marathon or who have not run a marathon before the chance to take part in the race by supporting one of the selected charities. Stell said the Living Center will field a team of 15 runners, each of whom must commit to raising at least $3000 for the organization. In 2003 the Living Center was given 10 runners by John Hancock, which was fielding its own team that year, and in 2004 Hancock donated another 10 runners, split between the Living Center and AIDS Action. This is the first year the Living Center itself has been featured as an official charity for the marathon.

Stell said people interested in running on the Living Center team should contact him at 617.236.1012, extension 256, or visit bostonlivingcenter.org to learn more about the charity program and download an application. For those unfamiliar with the Living Center, Stell said they can set up a time to stop by, take a tour of the facility, eat a meal with the clients and learn more about the Living Center's work. The deadline for applying to run with the team is Nov. 1.

"We just really want to get the word out because we're confident that once people see that opportunity's out there we'll get contacted," said Stell.