Official Chevron Houston Marathon Run for a Reason Charities Announced

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