Help us raise money

Welcome to my fundraising page!

I am running the Philly Full Marathon (26.2) to honor my mother (Michelle), her memory, and to continue to raise donations to defeat cancer. 

Michelle was our world as a mother, a grandmother, and a friend who loved and supported us beyond expectations. She passed away due to internal melanoma in March of 2019. This was right about the time the world began closing down during Covid. She spent many nights alone in hospitals due to the restrictions enforced during that period of time and there was even a time I had to bring my own children past security guards yelling for us to stop simply to see her for a few minutes, but her spirit remained positive. She loved and she was loved immensely. 

My wife and I ran our first half marathon together in Philly in 2021. Afterwards while Melissa and I were walking to Monks to celebrate we received a phone call from the police notifying us that our stepfather (Michelle's husband) had died. It seemed a cruel twist of fate at the time and still seems quite unbelievable, yet it has inspired us to make this run an annual tradition. It is a time for us to reflect and to dedicate our appreciation and love for our family and what we have lost. 

This is my fourth year running and my first time running the Full Marathon.

As part of my race, I’m proudly supporting the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) who is finding cures for more than 200 types of cancer. With your help, we can make the AACR Philadelphia Marathon the largest run dedicated to cancer research in the U.S.

Thank you!    

John Gleason