Boston Marathon Runners Raise Over $38 Million for Charity
Runners participating in the Boston Marathon raised a record breaking $38.4 million on behalf of nonprofit organizations this year, according to the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A).
The money, which was raised on behalf of more than 300 charities, almost doubled the $20 million raised for charity in 2013, reports the Associated Press.
The April 21 race was the first since two planted bombs exploded near the finish line of the 2013 marathon, killing three and wounding more than 260 others. This year, over 32,000 runners participated in the annual marathon, announced the B.A.A., reports Boston.com.
"This year's Boston Marathon was like no other that we have witnessed," B.A.A. Executive Director Tom Grilk said in a press release. "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 benefiting local charities."
Some of the 300 charitable organizations that will benefit from the funds include the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Boys & Girls Club of Boston. In addition, the B.A.A. made special allocations to the One Fund Boston and local hospitals and organizations that were affected by the 2013 Boston bombings that killed three and injured 264 others.
"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 Financial, one of the Marathon's biggest sponsors. "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."
Last month, a U.S. judge struck down a motion to allow suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to meet with his family members without having federal agents present.
In mid-June, U.S. District Judge George O'Toole denied a request by Tsarnaev's lawyers to allow him to meet jointly with their client and his sisters, without being in the presence of federal officials, reports Reuters.
According to defense attorneys, it's important for them to understand the accused bomber's relations with his family in order to build their case that he does not deserve execution if he is convicted planting bombs at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. However, they argued that the presence of federal officers prevents normal conversations from taking place.
Judge O'Toole ruled that he would approve a proposal by federal prosecutors to have a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent from outside Boston, who is not directly involved in the investigation, to monitor the meetings at the prison where the 20-year-old alleged terrorist is being held.
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