Sept. 2, 2009

For Immediate Release

For further information contact:

Rich Sherman, (508) 737-7872 or [email protected]

CIGNA Falmouth Road Race exceeds $1.4 million raised for charities

Falmouth, Mass. – The CIGNA Falmouth Road Race broke its fund-raising record by more than $100,000 at this year’s 37th running, raising $1.41 million for the 68 groups it supports with its Numbers-for-Nonprofits program.

Each year the race directors provide guaranteed entries, exempt from the lottery and with an extended deadline and a discounted entry fee, to selected charities. The charities then offer the entries to runners, who solicit donations for the non-profit. More than 900 people participated in the program this year. Runners in last year’s race raised $1.3 million and the total for the past seven years is more than $6.2 million.

This year’s top fundraiser was Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Boston, with more than $192,000, followed by Compassionate Care ALS of North Falmouth, which raised $177,000, and Children’s Hospital Boston at $121,000.

The individual leaders were Elise Warhaftig of Hingham, who raised $32,000 for the NephCure Foundation, and Robin Davis of Newton, with $29,000 for Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. The team of Doug and Patty Oakley of Weymouth and North Falmouth collected more than $38,000 for Compassionate Care ALS of Falmouth and Michelle Silk of Brookline raised $24,600 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Cape-based non-profits did very well at this year’s race. In addition to Compassionate Care, 20 other local groups participated in the program, raising more than $287,000. Last year’s Cape tally was just over $240,000. Among the local leaders were Ariana Kerrigan of East Falmouth and 14-year-old Aoife Callinan of West Falmouth. Callinan, a Falmouth High School freshman, raised over $3,500 for the Cape Cod Center for Women and Kerrigan raised $4,300 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

The following Cape non-profits were involved: 300 Committee of Falmouth, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod, Cape and Island Special Olympics, Cape Cod Center for Women, Cape Cod Theatre Project, Compassionate Care ALS, Dream Day on Cape Cod, Falmouth Commodores, Falmouth Community Television, Falmouth Military Support Group, Falmouth Service Center, Falmouth Veterans Council, Gosnold, Independence House, Matthew Houlihan Foundation, PAL of Cape Cod, Penikese Island School, Recovery Without Walls, Wampanoag Home Run and Wings for Falmouth Families.

            Other leading groups include Lymphoma Research Foundation, $100,000; Ronald MacDonald House of Boston, $91,000; Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, $63,000; American Stroke Association/Teddy's Team, $56,000; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, $55,000; and Joslin Diabetes Center, $50,000.

            In addition to the money raised by runners, the race made direct donations of more than $40,000 to local non-profits, sports teams and athletes.

            Information about the nonprofit groups in the program is listed on the web at http://www.FalmouthRoadRace.com/guaranteed-entries.

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