This year, April 15th is more than just tax day; it’s Patriot’s Day, the day the Boston Marathon will take place. There are 29,962 runners entered, including 68 in the wheelchair division and 49 in the handcycle division. There are 36 charity organizations participating in the race this year, and they’re expected to raise somewhere around $36 million for their individual causes.
For many, completing the marathon will fulfill lifelong personal fitness goals. But for Kerri McGrath and her team of family and friends, it means so much more.
The McGrath Family
Colin’s Joy Project
McGrath is running as part of “Team Colin”: a group of 11 runners who are participating in the marathon to honor Colin McGrath, Kerri’s 2 year old son who was tragically killed in a car accident last July. Kerri and her husband Brendan started Colin’s Joy Project, a donor-advised fund by a non-profit called The Boston Foundation, built in Colin’s name with the purpose of spreading joy in his memory.
Colin’s Joy Project has raised thousands of dollars in recent months; they aim to try to raise at least $600k by next summer, and the Boston Marathon is another event to help aid their fundraising efforts. Once they meet their goal, Colin’s Joy Project plans to donate the funds throughout the course of what would have been Colin’s childhood to various community projects and local businesses in South Boston, including the South Boston Public Library, the South Boston Neighborhood House (“the Ollie”), the South Boston Catholic Academy, and Julie’s Family Learning Center, among others. They are also working on creating and improving several playgrounds and play spaces in the South Boston community, as Colin especially loved to spend time at playgrounds with his big sister Sloane. Click here for more information on their partners and current projects.
The following people are all planning to risk their joints and their sanity to brave 26.2 miles on what will most likely NOT be a warm weather day, all in memory of Colin. We asked them to share their reasons for running, and this is what they said:
Team Colin
Christy is Kerri’s sister, and she’s running for Colin because:
“I miss my nephew. His giggles, his curls, his ridiculous debating skills, and funny antics. All the times he convinced me to do things we weren't supposed to do, just by smiling at me with those chubby cheeks. Each day that goes by, it gets harder to accept that he's really gone, and that there is truly nothing that can be done to bring him back. He made this world so happy, and with his passing, made so many heartbroken.“
Christy says that “Kerri is the most amazing sister, friend, mother and all around human [she] knows” and as her big sister, she naturally feels a sense of protectiveness over Kerri. Although no one can “fix” or take away the pain of Colin’s passing, running the marathon is a way for her to show solidarity for her sister and Brendan, and to let them know that she’ll always be there for them...even if “being there” means running a long way in the cold! But as much as Christy hates running in bad weather, and even though she swore she’d never run another marathon, she’s excited to be running this one with her sister, and to be raising money for such an “unbelievable organization.”
Mark Mercer
Mark is a friend of a friend of Kerri’s, and he’s running for Colin because:
“As a parent of two, Colin's Joy Project hits me in the heart.” He says that “for [him] to be able to be just a small part of helping Colin's memory live on through this amazing charity is something [he is] incredibly proud to have been given the opportunity to do.”
Gail Dyer
Gail is like a second mother to Kerri, and she’s running for Colin because:
“Kerri and Brendan have found the strength and motivation to focus their efforts and energy on helping families in need and enriching the lives of so many children. Running for Team Colin is a way for me to support all of the great projects and work that Kerri and Brendan deeply care about. As a late addition to the team, I'm not as prepared as I'd like to be for this tough course, but I'm excited about the opportunity to run Boston this year with Kerri and the rest of Team Colin.”
Charles Nersinger
Charles is a friend of Kerri’s from Providence College, and he’s running for Colin because:
“At the end of July one of my oldest friends and her husband (Kerri and Brendan McGrath) suffered an unthinkable loss that hit extremely close to home for my wife and I, as well as [for] a large cross-section of the Boston community.” As a father of 3 himself, the accident impacted Charles and his family tremendously. “There is no playbook for this. No rules. No clear path.”
“Kerri and Brendan have taken this terrible situation the only way they know how, by standing up and fighting. Fighting to have Colin's name remembered and giving back to the community that supported them through the toughest time in their lives. Kerri said to me, ‘Nothing will bring Colin back no matter what I do, but I have to do something. I don't ever want to forget him.’ "
Charles goes on to say that while he can’t imagine how they’re feeling, he can be there to listen and support the Mcgrath’s when called upon. “The Boston Marathon is [his] call to support in more ways than one.”
“Life is confusing, difficult, and unfair, but we are going to crush this marathon to show Life that we are strong and we will not be defeated. Let's go!”
Allyson McDonald and Rob Clifford
Allyson and Rob are a husband and wife team who are running for Colin because:
“[They] were both crushed when [they] heard of the accident and have been doing whatever [they] can to support Kerri and the McGrath's since. Their commitment to sharing Colin's joy is inspiring and [they] are in awe of their strength every day.”
Allyson and Rob last ran the Boston Marathon in 2013, the year of the bombing. That year they were running for the Newtown Memorial Fund because Allyson’s niece is a survivor of the Sandy Hook school shooting.
“6 years and one child later and [they’re] excited to run in honor of Colin and the entire [McGrath] family.” Check out their Facebook page, Ally and Rob's Run for Colin's Joy Project.
Jennifer Round
Jennifer met Kerri through Allyson and Rob, and Jennifer is running for Colin because:
“When I found out they were assembling a marathon team for Team Colin I immediately raised my hand. I have run a few Boston Marathons before and I was excited to be able to run again for such a great cause. The strength of the McGrath family is inspiring, and running 26.2 is the least I could do.”
Katie Marshman
Katie is a friend of Kerri’s from South Boston, and she’s running for Colin because:
“I’m running with Team Colin’s Joy to do everything I can to help keep Colin’s memory alive and all around us. Every mile I log and dollar I raise I know I’m doing my part, and when I’m tired I just think of all we will do and accomplish. It pushes me further and I know fully this is what I am supposed to be doing!”
Jennifer Gildersleeve
Jennifer just recently met Kerri, and still she’s running for Colin because:
“I am running for team Colin because It is an amazing charity that will directly help the Boston Community.” She says that “Kerri is so inspiring and strong. She has taken a horrible tragedy and done amazing things in her son’s name. I am honored to be part of her team.”
On a personal level, completing the Boston Marathon will be a huge accomplishment for Jennifer. She just started running two years ago, and until now it never even crossed her mind that she would ever have the opportunity or the endurance to do this.
Devin Quirk
Devin knows Kerri through his wife’s work at MGH, and he’s running for Colin because:
“I love this city. For the past 9 years I've worked for the City of Boston and tried to do whatever I can to make this city a better place to live.”
“My wife Michelle works at MGH with Kerri and losing Colin broke our hearts. I think about Colin every day when I walk down the sidewalk - whether at home with my young kids or at work looking at shaping the way Boston is built. I had already planned to run my first Boston Marathon this year, but when Kerri asked me to join her team it was an incredible opportunity to do something bigger and more important with this race. I can think of no better way to honor Colin's memory than to help this family make Boston a more joyful place for the next generation of Bostonians. While Colin's death is a tragedy I will never forget, the people and places his life will touch through this project will make a lasting impact and ensure his spirit lives on forever in Boston. That makes every mile meaningful.”
Kerri McGrath
Kerri is mom to Colin and Sloane and co-founder (with her husband Brendan) of Colin’s Joy Project. Kerri is running for Colin because:
“After the accident I had no energy to exercise. All I could do was go for walks, which Brendan and I did each day to get out of the house, even when our legs felt heavy and useless. One day in September I felt enough energy to run, so I went for a run around Castle Island, something that always cleared my head. This was the second time I had exercised. The first time, when my heart rate got up to a certain point, I became overwhelmed with emotion and began crying. I felt that coming on again during this run, and I planned to just stop and let it go. At the same time I was about to bend at the waist, put my hands on my knees and cry, I saw an older woman bent over ahead of me. I thought something might be wrong with her, so I picked myself up and went over to her. When I got there I realized she was staring at something in the grass. She looked at me and said, “isn’t it beautiful? I almost missed it.” I looked down and saw a beautiful monarch butterfly. We had seen butterflies everywhere after Colin died, and this particular butterfly spared me a moment of pain and helped me find a moment of peace. I thought to myself, “perhaps running can get me through this.”
“I realized that the pain we have felt since Colin’s death was worse than any pain training could bring me. Even though I felt weak at times, I knew I was strong enough to take whatever steps were needed to finish the marathon in Colin’s name. I never thought I’d be able to run a marathon, but Colin has guided me every step of the way.”
Please support Team Colin!
The marathon finish line will be the end of a journey for so many, but for Colin’s Joy Project, it’s just the beginning. You don’t have to be an athlete to honor Colin’s memory and spread joy in his name; please consider donating to the individual members of Team Colin. Each of their Crowdrise pages are linked to their names above. Or, visit Colin’s Joy Project.org and donate through the website.
If you want to do more, please share this post. The more people who see it, the more awareness will be brought to CJP and the marathon team!
Seasoned marathon runners- do you have any tips for Team Colin? Comment in the section below!
Colin McGrath