FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boston Marathon Raises Historic Amounts for Local Non-Profits:
$38.4 Million Raised
BOSTON, July 1, 2014 - Participants running on behalf of non-profit
organizations raised $38.4 million for charity this year in the 118th
running of the Boston Marathon. The 2014 figure is a record amount and
nearly doubles the $20 million raised in 2013.
In this year's race on April 21st, with an expanded field size of 36,000
registered runners, more than 300 organizations received donations in
support of their missions. The majority of the fundraising runners gained
entry through the Boston Athletic Association's Official Charity Program
and John Hancock's Marathon Non-Profit Program, which provide non-profits
with guaranteed entry numbers ("bibs") that enable funds to be raised for
their organizations.
In addition, many qualified runners, along with deferred runners who did
not finish the 2013 Marathon, contributed by raising money for charity.
The B.A.A. also made special allocations to the One Fund Boston, the Martin
W. Richard Charitable Foundation, local hospitals, and many other
organizations and individuals who were touched by the bombing at last
year's race.
Included among the charitable organizations benefiting from the B.A.A.'s
Official Charity Program in 2014 is the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which
marked its 25th year of fundraising with the B.A.A. for the Boston
Marathon.
"This year's Boston Marathon was like no other that we have witnessed,"
said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "We worked in cooperation with
the community, especially the eight cities and towns which comprise the
Boston Marathon route and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to accommodate
as many participants as possible, and we were delighted that so many chose
to channel their dedication and commitment towards fundraising for
worthwhile causes. The 2014 Boston Marathon will go down in history as a
special day for the sport, for the City of Boston and for unprecedented
fundraising, all benefitting local charities."
"The world bore witness to the resilience of the Boston community and the
true spirit of the Marathon this year," said Craig Bromley, President of
John Hancock. "The Boston Marathon will forever be defined by compassion,
courage, competition, and extraordinary generosity. We are proud of our
partnership with the B.A.A. and join them in congratulating our charitable
partners for raising an unprecedented amount of funds to support their
important missions."
In the 2014 race, funds raised by John Hancock-sponsored runners amounted
to slightly over $10 million, a 27 percent increase over the $7.9 million
total raised in 2013. Some of the 125 non-profit organizations
participating in the John Hancock program were: Massachusetts General
Hospital for Children, Boston Medical Center, The Hole in the Wall Gang
Camp, Hoyt Foundation Inc., Horizons for Homeless Children, and Bottom
Line.
In addition, Team John Hancock, consisting of 118 employees, ran while
raising funds for the Ron Burton Training Village and the Boys & Girls Club
of Boston, and 37 employees of parent company Manulife ran on behalf of
Canadian charity Pathways to Education. Employees raised nearly $370,000,
a 28 percent increase over 2013 results.
2014 marked the 29th year of John Hancock's landmark sponsorship of the
legendary Boston Marathon. Over the past 29 years, the official B.A.A.
Charity Program and John Hancock's own Non-Profit Program have combined to
raise more than $208 million for community-based organizations.
For the third consecutive year, John Hancock utilized a centralized online
platform to capture fundraising through a partnership with CrowdRiseTM
(www.crowdrise.com/2014bostonmarathon), an innovative online fundraising
web site.
About the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's
oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs.
Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John
Hancock Financial. The Boston Marathon is part of the World Marathon
Majors, along with the international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin,
Chicago, and New York City. More than 60,000 runners will participate in
B.A.A. events in 2014. The 119th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday,
April 20, 2015. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit
www.baa.org.
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based
financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the
United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as
John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a
diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management
services through its extensive network of employees, agents and
distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife and its
subsidiaries were C$635 billion (US$574 billion) as at March 31, 2014.
Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE,
and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at
manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of
the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and
administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance,
annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college
savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information
about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.
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