2023 Boilermaker Charity Bib Donations
The 44th Utica Boilermaker 15K and 5K will take place on Sunday, July 9, 2023 in Utica, NY.
Runner Bios
|
Stephanie Kuraszewiscz The Boilermaker has been on my running bucket list and this year I'll be completing it with a purpose! I'm running for Griffin's Guardians as a nurse who's seen the heartbreak of childhood cancer and a mom who can't imagine it. Ready to tie up my laces and hit the ground running as GG does for so many local families. |
|
James Griffith
I ran my first Boilermaker in 2004 and this year will make my 16th race. It is an honor to wear a Griffin’s Guardian bib in the 2022 Boilermaker 15k. As a Lions Club member of District 20W, I have had the esteemed privilege of running my last 6 races as a charity bib participant for a variety of services that are consistent with the Lions Clubs service values. In the United States, more than 13,000 children under the age of 21 are diagnosed with cancer every year. But the survival rate continues to improve, averaging over 80 percent with much thanks to increasingly specialized treatments, leading edge expertise and groundbreaking research. When a child is diagnosed with cancer, they are not the only ones that feel the immense weight of the world threshed upon them, the entire family feels the burden as well. Griffin’s Guardians provides that emotional and financial support to children and their families of CNY at the time when it is needed most. In my small community we have a young 11-year-old girl named Nola who has been fighting a rare form of cancer for the past two years. The love and support are all some of us can give. This year I run for Griffin! Thank you Erin for allowing me to be a part of Griffin’s Guardians and raise support and awareness for childhood cancer. |
|
Jon Griffith I am honored to be running for Griffin this July! This will be my 7th Boilermaker and my first under a charity bib. When my brother James mentioned he was once again running and who he was running for I asked if I could be apart of the charge. In the past I have worked with several young people taken too soon. My family relocated to North Carolina last year, but very much still have roots in central New York. Now my small part is to uphold the mission of Griffin's Guardians. Providing support for families whose little ones fight daily. For Griffin and others! |
|
Brandon Johnson I am excited and honored to run with Griffin's Guardians for this year's Boilermaker. This will be my fourth boilermaker and the second year running for such a great cause. Running with Griffin's Guardians has given me a renewed interest in the Boilermaker as more than just a road race. This organization gives hope to families and children going through difficult battles, I am inspired by their strength, and proud to run for these families. |
|
Emily Kulkus
I am honored to once again wear a Griffin’s Guardians bib for the Boilermaker 15k! I run for our son, Archie, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer when he was seven months old. The Griffin’s Guardians organization has been a constant in our lives ever since and we are so fortunate for the amazing work they do for children and families in Central New York. We are so fortunate that Archie is cancer-free and a thriving, chatty, hilarious 5-year-old who loves cheering on runners with his big sister, Violet. I also run for the incredible children and families we have met along this journey, including Charlie and Griffin, whose spirits have helped me up more hills than I can count. |
|
Matthew Munnich I am truly honored to wear a Griffin’s Guardians bib for the 15k. I am happy to raise money that will stay local and be put towards such a good cause. Griffin’s Guardians means so much to me because when Griffin passed, my brother lost his best friend. It was difficult to see my brother go through that, and that’s why, I want to run for Griffin, for my brother Tyler, and for everyone else effect by pediatric cancer. |
|
Tyler Munnich My name is Tyler Munnich, and this year is my first time running a 15k. Griffin was my best friend. We were the Three Musketeers, Griffin, Kevin, and I. From the playdates at Mcdonalds to the birthday parties at the arcade, we were always together. These memories I have do not weigh me down, they do not hold me back. These memories lift me up, they push me to be better, to work harder. That is why I am doing this race, for Griffin, for any other kid going through what he had to, for the families, and the other Three Musketeers out there. |
|
Erin and Jason Putman We are honored to be wearing charity bibs this year for Griffin’s Guardians. This organization has touched our hearts since the day the Engle family formed it. No one deserves to hear that their child has cancer. GG is there right beside these local families helping assist them through these very difficult times. They are an amazing organization that we love to support. We run for Griffin and every other child that has lost their chance to run after their dreams. |
