Written By, Erica Brooke Fajge

PHILADELPHIA, USA [OnlyInPhiladelphia.com] – Someone plans to participate in the Broad Street Run on May 2nd dressed as a dandelion.

That someone is John Fallon, a coworker of mine. For the second year in a row, Fallon is taking part in the annual race down Broad Street which is hosted by Blue Cross, as well as running to raise money for One Simple Wish, an organization that grants wishes to hundreds of needy children.

This year, Fallon decided to up his incentive to run: he plans to raise $10,000 for One Simple Wish while dressed in a dandelion costume. The dandelion happens to be the logo of the organization; however, Fallon also thought this would be a way to both involve and amuse his children.

“My oldest daughter came up with the dandelion idea since it’s OSW’s logo, and my two youngest have taken to calling me a Daddylion,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun doing the fundraising and getting the costume together with my kids.”

One Simple Wish has an established network of non-profit and religious organizations in order to make these wishes known. Some of the “wishes” granted to the many children benefited by the organization include backpacks, school supplies, clothing, diapers and baby products, gift certificates to restaurants, movie tickets, amusement park or museum passes, tutoring, music lessons, and money for graduation caps and gowns.

Fallon is currently the Vice President of the Board of Directors of One Simple Wish and has been on the board since 2007. It is an organization he cares much about.

“Too often I found myself making donations to organizations and never really knowing where my money was going, so having the ability to make the connection between my donation and the recipient was very exciting,” he said. “Secondly, the founder and Executive Director, Danielle Gletow, is someone that I know and trust, so I joined with full confidence that her passion would ensure that we would never lose sight of the goals. Finally, I want to teach my own children about charity and philanthropy, that giving can happen in their own community, and that they can have fun at the same time.”

Fallon is among the 30,000 other runners that will participate in the annual race down Philadelphia’s famous Broad Street on Sunday, May 2nd. The ten-mile race, which began in 1980, stretches down Broad Street from Central High School all the way to the Navy Yard in South Philly. Runners get to pass by some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as Temple University, City Hall, and the Kimmel Center. The Broad Street Run is one of the most popular races in the country, so popular, in fact, that the race was limited to 30,000 runners this year.

Last year, however, was the first time Fallon had taken part in the race. A coworker, who runs the race every year and who knew about Fallon’s commitment to One Simple Wish, suggested he take part in the race to raise money and awareness for the organization. A week later, Fallon sent out a letter to his friends asking if they would donate.

“Within four days, I got three checks in the mail,” he said. “It was as simple as that. I did the run, raised the money, and that coworker now sits on the Board of Directors with me.”

Fallon successfully raised $2,500 for the organization last year and this year has increased his fundraising goal to $10,000. If he makes that goal he will run dressed as a dandelion; his kids even helped him with the costume as well as the fundraising.

“I know that $10,000 is a lofty goal, so I was trying to come up with an additional incentive,” he said, adding, “While the money is important, I also want to raise awareness of the organization so others can see how simple it is to make a big difference.”

To learn more about One Simple Wish and to make a donation, visit http://www.onesimplewish.org/run. You can also help One Simple Wish receive $50,000 through the Pepsi Refresh Challenge by voting online at http://www.refresheverything.com/onesimplewish.

For general information about the Broad Street Run, visit www.broadstreetrun.com.

Related Posts with Thumbnails