As one good turn deserves another, donating $25 or more to aid wounded veterans could land you with two tickets to anywhere in the continental United States.
Suffield resident Roz Luongo is one of 2,500 runners in the Run To Home Base 9K race. That race will end at home plate in Fenway Park in Boston, MA, on Sunday morning, May 22, before the Red Sox take on the Chicago Cubs in Boston (for the first time since the 1918 World Series).
Contributions of $25 or more via Luongo’s donation page will make you eligible to win the tickets donated by her employer, American Airlines.
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Luongo has already raised $1,410 for the charity, surpassing the $1,000 benchmark required to run in the race, but hopes the tickets can bring in more still.
“You can never raise too much money,” Luongo said, “I’ve gone over the thousand mark and they’re happy to take it all.”
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Run To Home Base is the second annual fundraising event for the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program. The Home Base Program helps provide funding for clinical care, education, research and community outreach to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with combat stress and traumatic brain injuries.
Donations can be made until May 12 at 8 p.m., but must be made via Luongo’s page to be eligible to win the tickets, which will be raffled off on May 15 by the Suffield Police Department.
Luongo found out about the race when her friend, Tammy Tripodi, ran in last year’s 9K.
“I found the race to be the best race I have ever run,” Tripodi said. “It was an emotionally charged run fueled by the families and friends of military personnel that were present.”
During last year’s run, many Army soldiers ran in full uniforms and gear and Marines ran together carrying their flag along the course, according to Tripodi.
“At the end of the race, there was a line-up of military personnel shaking our hands and thanking us for running, really, [they] deserve all the thanks,” Tripodi said.
Luongo has participated in a number of marathons, and a few half marathons, but this is her first time running for charity.
“You feel good," Luongo said, "because you’ve done a little something to help somebody out.”
