HOUSTON (May 8, 2014) – The Houston Marathon Committee on Thursday announced the 62 official charities for the 2014-2015 Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason charity program. The new charity lineup offers a variety of important causes including medical research and support, community outreach, animal protection and more.

Linking 30,000 runners with a record 62 official charities, the Run for a Reason charity program provides an avenue for race participants, individuals and organizations to collect donations on behalf of an official charity of their choice. It also provides a platform for charities to raise awareness and educate others about their cause.

“Because of the passion and support of our participants, official charities and sponsors, the Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason program continues to raise the bar each year,” said HMC Executive Director Wade Morehead. “We are proud of our returning charities who contribute in so many ways to the spirit and success of our event, and we are excited about working with the wonderful philanthropies new to the RFAR team this year.”

The 2013-2014 season marked the fourth year in a row that fundraising surpassed the $2 million mark, generating a record $2.6 million from over 16,000 donations. Since the program’s inception in 1995, more than $19 million has been raised to benefit various charities.

How to participate
The Run for a Reason program offers guaranteed ways to enter the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon without registering for the lottery. Starting June 4, a limited number of guaranteed charity entries will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“HERO” charity entries enable runners to make an upfront, tax-deductible donation of at least $350 to an official Run for a Reason charity of their choice, plus the cost of registration, to secure a guaranteed race entry. More information on “HERO” entries can be found at www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/RunForAReason/HeroesRegistration.cfm. Individuals can also purchase a guaranteed entry for someone else through the “Gift a HERO” program.

“Fundraising for Registration” charity entries give runners an opportunity to fundraise for an official Run for a Reason charity of their choice and receive a guaranteed race entry. Participating charities set their own fundraising minimums and deadlines, and runners should contact the organizations directly. More information can be found at www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/RunForAReason/FundraisingForRegistration.cfm.

The 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon are scheduled for Sunday, January 18, 2015, while the ABB 5K will be held the day before on Saturday, January 17.

The 2014-2015 Chevron Houston Marathon Official Run for a Reason charities are listed below and can also be found at www.RunforaReasonHouston.org.

2014-2015 Official Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason Charities

3 “A” Bereavement Foundation

ALS Association Texas Chapter

Alzheimer’s Association, Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter

American Heart Association

American Liver Foundation

Avondale House

Bo’s Place

Buffalo Bayou Partnership

The Cade R. Alpard Foundation for Pediatric Liver Disease

CanCare, Inc.

Child Advocates, Inc.

Citizens for Animal Protection

Collaborative for Children

Covenant House Texas

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Down Syndrome Association of Houston

Dress for Success Houston

Easter Seals of Greater Houston

Elves & More

Epilepsy Foundation of Texas

Houston Aphasia Recovery Center

Houston Area Parkinson Society

Houston Area Women’s Center

Houston Food Bank

Houston Habitat for Humanity

Houston Marathon Foundation

Houston SPCA

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Kid’s Meals, Inc.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Living Water International

Lupus Foundation of America, TX Gulf Coast Chapter

Marathon Kids

The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation

Memorial Hermann Foundation

Memorial Park Conservancy

National Kidney Foundation

Open Door Mission

Organization for Autism Research

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy

The Parish School

Pink Ribbons Project

Presbyterian Children’s Homes & Services

REACH Unlimited

Ronald McDonald House Houston

San Jose Clinic

SEARCH Homeless Services

Sheltering Arms Senior Services

Snowdrop Foundation

Spaulding for Children

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Star of Hope Mission

The Sunshine Kids Foundation

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Houston Affiliate

Team Red, White & Blue

Texas Center for the Missing

The Todd Krampitz Foundation

Vanessa’s Big Heart Foundation

Vita-Living, Inc.

The Women’s Home

Young Audiences of Houston

Young Texans Against Cancer