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Help Friends in memory of raise money

For participating in 2021 Cleveland Marathon

My Story…

We are a group of Cornell teammates and friends, including Marty ('86) and Peg Rauch ('86), Lisa McHale ('89), Katy Craske Beltz ('89), Maureen Kilcullen, Stuart Tross ('88), Chad Levitt ('96), Tod ('88) and Cindy Wojciechowski, and Michael McHale ('20) in Tampa to run a virtual 5K to raise funds for Concussion Legacy Foundation.

 

We first learned of CTE and the impressive work of the Concussion Legacy Foundation when we lost our friend and teammate Tom McHale in May of 2008. Tom met his wife Lisa while at Cornell; and upon his death, Lisa dedicated herself to helping the foundation achieve its vision of a world without CTE and concussion safety without compromise.




In March of 2016, we lost another dear friend and teammate, Leo Reherman. He was just 49 years old. Though he died of natural causes, Leo, familiar with CTE due to his friendship with Tom and Lisa McHale, had told loved ones he wished for his brain to be donated, upon his death, to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank. It was revealed that Leo too had been suffering from CTE. 

 

More, recently, we learned that a third dear friend and Cornell teammate lost his life far too young. Dave VanMetre tragically died by suicide in April 2019. Tom, Leo, and Dave were all members of the 1985 team. 


We ask that you join us in honoring these three great men. Please make a gift in their memory to CLF. If there's any chance you could join us in Tampa on May 15, we would love to have you join our running group. However, if that is not possible, you can still join our team by registering to run virtually on your own, or with fellow Cornellians.

Donate to help Friends in memory of raise money for 2021 Cleveland Marathon’s fundraising campaign.


Recent donors

Donation date Donor name Donation amount
Apr 23 Downhill Will Fan Club Leo was our favorite. $268.47
Apr 23 Stacy Knapp Undisclosed amount
Apr 23 Costa Harbilas $536.02
Apr 22 Shaun Hawkins Although taken too soon, I’m better for having known all three of these great teammates and their legacy. $268.47
Apr 22 Brian and Peggy Heffernan Donation to honor my brother and Cornell Football alum - Tom Malone $107.94
Apr 22 Joanna Morris $107.94
Apr 22 Beth Bruno Hyer Loved watching these guys play during my years at Cornell. Good men, all of them. $107.94
Apr 22 Anonymous We love your entire family. We miss Tom and all of you. You’re in our thoughts. Undisclosed amount
Apr 22 Eric Updyke Great men taken far too soon ... very happy to be a small part of this cause with this group. $268.47
Apr 22 Patrick Woodring $50.00