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Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon Helps Charity Partner Concussion Legacy Foundation Raise More Than $165,000

Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon Helps Charity Partner Concussion Legacy Foundation Raise More Than $165,000

Funds will help those impacted by concussions and CTE

CLEVELAND – June 1, 2021 – Through the Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon’s Charity Partners program, teams of runners have raised more than $165,000 for the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) so far this year. CLF’s mission is to support athletes, Veterans and all affected by concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE); achieve smarter sports and safer athletes through education and innovation; and to end CTE through prevention and research. CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma.

In 2020, a group of approximately 40 runners raised just over $50,000 for CLF by running the Cleveland Marathon. This year, due in large part to the virtual race options, the group has expanded to more than 70 runners from across the country and has raised more than $165,000.

The group was started by Josh Staph, son of marathon director, Jack Staph, and Chris Nowinski, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of CLF. Staph and Nowinski played football together at Harvard University and saw an opportunity to raise money for the organization through the marathon’s Charity Partners program.

“We love partnering with the Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon to raise funds to help those impacted by concussions and CTE,” said Nowinski. “Our vision is a world without CTE and concussion safety without compromise, and this event provides a powerful opportunity to bring awareness to the causes, consequences and prevention of head trauma.”

Staph and Nowinski formed Team Harvard and recruited some of their former classmates to join them. Since then, they have recruited teams from other universities, including Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton, Notre Dame, Vassar, Michigan, West Point and more and have created a friendly competition among them – all for a good cause. In fact, each team runs in memory of someone who passed away with CTE.

The teams include some recognizable names in the entertainment and sports worlds, including actor Ben Koldyke, national sports reporter Jeremy Schaap, former professional boxer George Foreman III, tennis pro James Blake, former NHL player Ben Lovejoy, and former NFL players Reggie Williams, Gary Fencik, Chas Gessner, Ross Tucker and Sean Morey.

“I grew up around the marathon and have seen first-hand the good that the Charity Partners program can do for nonprofit organizations,” said Josh Staph. “I’ve also seen and believe in the good work that the Concussion Legacy Foundation does and thought this would be a perfect partnership.”

“We are proud to help support so many organizations that do such important work for so many,” said Jack Staph. “Giving back to the community is a key tenet of the marathon and something that we are passionate about. Over the past 43 years, we have raised millions for our charity partners.”

About the Concussion Legacy Foundation

The Concussion Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It was founded by Robert Cantu, MD, and Chris Nowinski, PhD to support athletes, Veterans, and all affected by concussions and CTE; achieve smarter sports and safer athletes through education and innovation; and to end CTE through prevention and research. For more information, please visit ConcussionFoundation.org.

About the Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon 

One of the 50 oldest races in the country, the Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon features the following opportunities: Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids’ Run and Challenge Series. Online registration and additional information is available at clevelandmarathon.com. 

There are opportunities for non-profit organizations to raise funds through their participation in the race through Cleveland Marathon Charities. Find out more at clevelandmarathon.com.

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