Hey, I'm James. I'm a student at Syracuse University, and on November 22 I'm running the Philadelphia Marathon. It'll be my first.
I've spent the last six summers working for the Sodus Bay Junior Sailing Association, a nonprofit that gets kids out on the water. This past year I traveled to Eswatini with the Thirst Project, which funds clean water for communities across the country. Both taught me the same lesson from opposite ends: what a program can do for a kid, and what it takes from the rest of us to keep that program running.
Which brings me to Team Friendship. Friendship Circle matches teen volunteers with children and young adults with special needs and gives real friendships room to form. The kids gain confidence and someone who shows up for them. The volunteers walk away seeing the world differently. The families get a rare stretch of peace of mind.
I've committed to raising $1,500 for that work. The 26.2 miles are on me