Paul Leeman III will be running 39 miles on his birthday on Aug. 23 to raise money for the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and Center for Grieving Children. |
Paul Leeman, of Round Pond, is celebrating his birthday in a big way for the second year in a row. In 2013, he ran 38 miles and raised $2,500 in a benefit run for two worthy causes. This year on his 39th birthday, Leeman plans on running 39 miles, and hopes to raise $5,000. So far he has raised $1,000.
Leeman started running three years ago at the urging of his wife. “It helps me keep up with the kids,” he said.
The 38 mile birthday run in 2013 was the furthest distance he had ever run. Leeman’s mother, Debbie Hilton, rode a bike alongside him, and friends B.J. Russell and Darren Winchenbach ran part way with him.
“I just wanted to try to run my age for a benefit,” Leeman said. “It was just a whim. After I finished last year I decided to do it again (this year).”
He encourages anyone who wants to “run a mile or an hour” with him to do so. “It helps pass the time away,” he said.
Again this year, Leeman has decided to use his run to raise funds for Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and the Center for Grieving Children, the same organizations his run benefited last year.
“It’s time to celebrate another birthday and another opportunity to push myself in an extreme running effort and raise money for a couple of valuable organizations. Thanks to the awesome support from you, my family and friends, I was able to donate $2500 to Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and the Center for Grieving Children. These organizations are so very important that I am choosing to donate to them again this year,” Leeman wrote on his http://www.gofundme.com page.
The Center for Grieving Children, based in Portland, serves more than 4,000 grieving children, teens, families, and young adults annually through peer support, outreach, and education every year. Since its founding in 1987, the Center for Grieving Children has served more than 66,000 children, teens, and their families. It offers its services for free, for as long as people need them.
“I heard some of their stories and they hit home,” Leeman said of the program.
The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, located in a wing of the Maine Medical Center in Portland treats and cares for pre-mature infants, drug addicted newborns, and children with ailments ranging from mild to severe. They specialize in medical and surgical treatment of complex, life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
They also offer comprehensive, family-centered care from an exceptional team of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals.
“Some friends had used that facility (Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital) before,” Leeman said. “They do good things for people. I have a 6- and a 3- year-old and one on the way. It makes you think.”
Anyone that would like to donate to Leeman’s cause can make a check out to “38 Run” and drop it off at The First, or can mail it to him at PO Box 200, Round Pond, 04564.