Boyle Completes Marine Corps Marathon, Raises $15k for AU Track/Cross Country – aueagles.com

Report on a Community Fundraising Initiative in Support of Sustainable Development Goals

A community-led fundraising initiative, centered on participation in the Marine Corps Marathon, was executed to support the American University (AU) track and cross country program. This initiative demonstrates a strong alignment with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting well-being, enhancing educational experiences, and fostering community partnerships.

Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The initiative actively promoted targets associated with ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.

• Promotion of Physical Activity: The core activity, completing a 26.2-mile marathon, serves as a prominent example of promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.
• Support for Student Health: Funds raised directly benefit student-athletes, providing resources that support their physical and mental well-being through participation in competitive sports.
• Community Inspiration: The effort inspires broader community engagement in physical fitness and health-conscious activities.

Contribution to SDG 4: Quality Education

By investing in the university’s athletic program, the project contributes to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities.

• Holistic Student Development: The initiative supports the non-academic dimension of education, recognizing that athletics are integral to developing skills such as discipline, teamwork, and resilience in student-athletes.
• Enhancing Educational Experience: The financial support aims to provide the “highest level competitive experience,” directly improving the quality of the extracurricular programs offered by the educational institution.
• Faculty-Student Engagement: The participation of a university professor, Kevin Boyle, highlights a commitment to student success that integrates both academic and extracurricular spheres.

Fostering SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The project strengthened the local university community, making it more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

• Community Mobilization: The initiative successfully united 61 donors from the American University community, demonstrating strong social cohesion and collective action.
• Strengthening Local Institutions: By generating support for a university program, the effort reinforces the social fabric and capacity of a key local institution.

Demonstrating SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The fundraising model exemplifies the revitalization of global partnerships for sustainable development on a local scale.

• Multi-Stakeholder Partnership: The campaign was a successful partnership between an individual (Kevin Boyle), a university department (AU track and cross country), and the wider community (donors).
• Resource Mobilization: The partnership effectively mobilized financial resources to achieve a specific, community-oriented goal, showcasing a sustainable funding model for future efforts.

Key Outcomes and Financials

The initiative achieved significant measurable results, both in participation and financial support.

1. Total Funds Raised: A total of $15,499 was secured for the university program.
2. Community Participation: The campaign attracted contributions from 61 distinct donors.
3. Initiator’s Contribution: A significant personal commitment of $2,600 was made by the marathon runner, Kevin Boyle.
4. Athletic Achievement: The 26.2-mile Marine Corps Marathon was successfully completed in a time of 4:45:28.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article focuses on a marathon, a significant physical activity that promotes health. Kevin Boyle’s completion of the “26.2-mile course” is a direct example of promoting well-being through physical fitness. Furthermore, the fundraising supports a “track and cross country program,” which encourages student-athletes to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • The fundraising effort is explicitly for the “American University community” and its “track and cross country program.” The funds are intended to help provide the “highest level competitive experience” for student-athletes, which is an integral part of a holistic educational experience at a university. The involvement of a “current AU professor” further strengthens the link between the athletic program and the university’s core educational mission.
3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article is a clear example of a multi-stakeholder partnership. An individual (Kevin Boyle), an institution (American University’s athletic program), and the wider community (“61 donors”) collaborated to achieve a common goal. This initiative successfully mobilized financial resources, as highlighted by the statement that the community “came together to raise $15,499,” demonstrating a partnership to support a program.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • The article connects to this target by showcasing activities that prevent non-communicable diseases and promote well-being. Running a marathon and supporting a university track program are direct actions that encourage physical activity, a key strategy for achieving this target.
2. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
   • While not about building physical facilities, the funds raised are meant to enhance the learning and competitive environment for student-athletes. The head coach notes that the donations help “provide the highest level competitive experience for our team,” which is a way of upgrading the program’s resources and ensuring an effective environment for the students involved, especially in the face of “higher expenses.”
3. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
   • The fundraising initiative described is a model of a civil society partnership. A professor, the university athletic department, and community donors worked together. Boyle’s hope that “this is an inspiration for some more unique fundraising efforts” points to building on the experience of this partnership to create future resource-mobilizing strategies.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Financial resources mobilized for a specific program.
   • The article explicitly states a key quantitative indicator: the “$15,499” raised for the track and cross country program. This figure directly measures the financial outcome of the partnership and the resources generated to support the educational and health-related goals of the program.
2. Number of participants in a community partnership.
   • The article provides the number of “61 donors” who contributed to the fundraising effort. This indicator measures the breadth of community engagement and the level of support for the partnership, showing how many stakeholders were mobilized.
3. Participation in organized physical fitness events.
   • The article mentions one individual, Kevin Boyle, who “ran, completing the 26.2-mile course.” This serves as a qualitative and singular quantitative indicator of participation in activities that promote health and well-being.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators’ to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: aueagles.com