I run for the Franklin Park Coalition because of what Franklin Park means to me, my family and my community. I have been an avid park user for over fifteen years and I am a current board member of the Franklin Park Coalition. My husband is originally from Roxbury and grew up going to Franklin Park. We have raised our four children in the park. Between pushing my kids in the stroller on my runs along the pathways, taking family picnics during the summer, and attending all of the Elma Lewis Playhouse in the Park concerts, Franklin Park has become a fixture in my family’s life. When we learned about the opportunity to run the Boston Marathon for the Franklin Park Coalition, my husband and I knew I had to do it. The money raised for the coalition goes directly back into the park and the surrounding communities we love so much. Programs such as the Youth Sports Nights, Franklin Park Moves for health fitness events, and the Elma Lewis Concert Series, embrace our neighborhoods and are crucial for the enhancement of our communities. This is my second year running the 26.2 miles for the Franklin Park Coalition because I know my effort ensures the future of a beautiful green space and vital resource for my community, my family, and myself.