Narberth CF Run to Honor Boston Marathon

The 17th annual Narberth Cystic Fibrosis Run will take place on Saturday, April 27, at 9 a.m. at Narberth Park. In commemoration of the recent Boston Marathon attacks, the Narberth Cystic Fibrosis Run will hold a moment of silence before the race. Lindsay Kulp, who has sung for the race for the past five years, will also sing the national anthem.

"We were all shocked and saddened by last week's tragic events in Boston. As part of the local Philadelphia running community, the Narberth CF Run is sending a message to all of the victims and their loved ones, that we admire their courage and stand with them," said McCloskey.

He continued, "This Saturday each runner will be wearing their bib number with a small ribbon to honor the four people who died and all those who were injured. At the start of the run, we will join together in a moment of silence to remember our friends and fellow runners for whom a day of joy turned into a day of sadness."

McCloskey, who lives with CF himself, said the overall cause of the run is for the Take A Breather Foundation—which helps make wishes come true for children living with CF—but "we definitely want to honor, remember and support the families of Boston." 

The Narberth CF Run is an annual event organized by McCloskey and his siblings Ame Austin, and Molly McBryan. Since the run’s inception, it has fulfilled almost 100 wishes of kids with CF. In 2012, the Take A Breather Foundation was formed to help further the cause with additional planned activities beyond the Narberth Run. 

The event attracts close to 1,000 participants of all ages who embark on a 5-mile run on a certified course around Narberth, followed by a “Kidz Run” around the perimeter of the park for children ages 4 to 11.  Family, friends, and a whole community come together on a Saturday morning every April, to support a great cause.

According to a press release from the Narberth CF Run, the "Take A Breather Foundation works closely with social workers from local CF Centers to identify children who will most benefit from their mission.  One of the kids benefitting from the 2012 Narberth Run is 15-year-old Rachel Kolp, a Children’s Hospital patient from New Jersey.  Rachel’s wish, for her family to go to the Atlantis, in the Bahamas. Rachel, whose condition requires many lengthy hospital stays, wrote to the Foundation, “I would really like to thank you for the trip. It means the world to me and my family.'"

The funds from the 2012 run also sent a family to Club Med Florida and another to Disney World, according to the Narberth CF Run. In addition, last year’s run also bought kids two Apple computers, and funded an iPad and iPod for kids who spent the Christmas holidays in the hospital.