Thanks for Getting Me to the Finish

Sunday afternoon at 2:15 PM I met my goal of covering 100 miles in under 30 hours.  My final time was 29 hours and 15 minutes.  The weather was good all day and night, which makes a huge difference, and the volunteers at Ghost Train were incredible with their aid station hospitality. 

Many runners have pacers and crews to help them get to the finish line. This run I ran solo but you, the New England JFON crew paced me from a distance - and we got it done!  Knowing that so many joined the effort through prayers, good wishes and donations gave me the extra inspiration that is always required when one's tired legs and mind want to send you home without finishing.  Thanks to all who made this an extra special finish. 

If you would still like to support migrants in honor of this effort, you may do so here.   

I wish I could thank you all personally for your support and dedication to New England JFON. I look forward to when our trails cross so I can share my appreciation personally.

- Gary

Thinking About the Finish Line

Imagining the finish line is one thing but getting there is whole other matter. 

Getting to the finish is a collective effort. It takes a community of volunteers, pacers and crew members to get one person to the line. Without this community effort, very few would be able to complete a long-distance effort. I am so grateful for all who have supported me over the years. Every finished race has the handprints of folks I know and don't know. 

It is the same with our shared long-distance effort of providing free, expert legal services to immigrant communities; it is a community effort from start to finish. I am humbled by the support this effort has received and will be thinking of all of you during my run on Saturday and Sunday. Every one of you is part of my crew for this race and this fundraiser. 

My estimated time to cross the finish line at the Ghost Train Ultra Run is early Sunday afternoon.  I look forward to reporting back early next week on my effort. 

New England Justice for Our Neighbors' Website

Miles for Migrants Fundraising Page

9 Days Until Race Day! ☀☁⛈

Checking the extended forecast is a pre-race ritual for many runners. We want to know what to expect when we toe the line on race day. 

So far the weather looks good for October 15-16, but we all know that a 9-day New England weather prediction and 50 cents might get you a half of cup of coffee! I will be preparing for the cold and rain as well as the sun and wind. Luckily, this race will bring me back to my base camp every 15 miles, so I can change clothes and shoes if needed. 

As I have been preparing for the race, my thoughts have been with the Venezuelan migrants who were misled and transported from Texas to Martha's Vineyard. It's difficult to imagine how these immigrants must have felt, being promised so much and then landing on a remote island where every promise proved to be a lie. Thankfully, local residents and organizations quickly put into place a hospitality plan, and lawyers are now at work preparing cases, but these immigrants' situations are far from resolved. 

Worrying about the possibility of cold weather on a race day is a privilege compared to the types of uncertainty many of  our migrant sisters and brothers face everyday. I am grateful that so many have joined this effort to extend free, expert legal services to migrants that arrive in Western, Central, and Northeastern Massachusetts.  Every donation to New England Justice for Our Neighbors contributes to our shared effort to provide immigration justice and create a brighter forecast for our clients' futures. 

If you would like to join the team of race sponsors, follow this link.  Thank you! 

Back from Ascutney, Vermont and the Vermont 50

Many thanks to all of you who have contributed to my New England Justice for  Miles for Migrants fundraising run. 

I had a good week in Vermont with long days on my feet and a 50k training run, so I am feeling good about heading into the final weeks before Ghost Train 100. 

Being back with the Vermont 50 ultra community reminded me of the New England JFON community. Volunteers over the years have stayed together through thick and thin for the work of bringing immigration justice and legal services to some of the most vulnerable in our communities. I am so grateful to have been a part of this effort.  

Immigration legal work is like running an ultra-race.  Both require sustained expenditures of time and energy. The legal services lawyers who provide our clients with expert advice and representation are truly  unsung heroes. Many thanks to our legal services partners Northeast Justice Center and Central West Justice Center for going the distance with New England JFON. 

There are still just over two weeks remaining until the big day.  Will you join our other supporters in sponsoring my race?  Here's the link.  

And remember, you can learn more about New England Justice for Our Neighbors on our website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Thank you!

Heading North: Last Long Training Run

I'm currently in Ascutney, Vermont, helping to staff the Vermont 50 and preparing to run the 50k on Sunday.

The Vermont 50 and the Vermont 100 endurance races are fundraising events for Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, which is an amazing outdoor sports program for folks with all abilities. (Check out their work here.)

Vermont Adaptive is all about creating life-changing opportunities.  Its incredible network of volunteers support and accompany the athletes on ski slopes, trails, lakes and more. 

New England JFON, too, is about creating life-changing opportunities through free, expert legal services and an incredible network of volunteers who help make it happen. 

Thanks to all the volunteers and donors who support New England JFON and to the many of you who have already sponsored my upcoming 100-mile race.  To join the list of sponsors, click here.

Check Out the Ghost Train Website

Friends, for those of you interested in the Ghost Train race event, please feel free to check out their website here.  You can review the photos on the website and get a sense of the Ghost Train community.

This run sells out every year in a matter of days after the online registration is open. The race directors and volunteers do an amazing job of making the run fun and well-supported. 

I will be running/walking with many Ghost Train friends.

As always, to support New England Justice for Our Neighbors by sponsoring my run, click here. 

Thanks to All the Early Supporters

Thank you to our early supporters!  I am very grateful for all the donors who have responded to the announcement of the Miles for Migrants run so far. 

While we are still a bit over a month away from the run on October 15-16, it is an important time for training. I have one more week of training here in Belmont before heading out to Ascutney, Vermont for the Vermont 50 and my last 50k run before the Ghost Train 100.  

I am privileged to have the time and resources to train.  However, with every training or race mile, I move in solidarity with those who travel on foot for hundreds of miles for a new life of safety, freedom and economic justice. 

May our collective efforts support our brothers and sisters who made this journey and seek immigration justice.   Please join us: https://donorbox.org/miles-for-migrants.