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Local woman to run in Boston Marathon for Mass. hospital team

Bedford resident Charla Stevens will run in the 121st Boston Marathon on April 17 in support of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Emergency Response Marathon Team. Charla will join an estimated 30,000 runners along the 26.2 mile course that spans from Hopkinton to Boston’s Boylston Street. The funds Charla raises will provide critical support for emergency care, disaster relief and preparedness teaching and training at Mass General, efforts that benefit victims worldwide. The Emergency Response Marathon Team’s 2017 fundraising goal is $375,000.

Charla’s desire to run the Boston Marathon began 30 years ago when she lived near and ran on the route while going to law school. Charla, who has long been passionate about emergency preparedness and access to adequate health care, felt strongly about running to raise funds for the MGH Emergency Response Team. As the chair of her firm’s safety committee, Charla brings awareness to health and safety issues in the workplace. She also assists independent health centers with student safety and pandemic preparedness, and serves on the governor of New Hampshire’s Opioid Task Force.

Following the 2013 marathon bombings, Mass General received guaranteed entries from the Boston Athletic Association to create a special team of runners. For the third year Mass General’s Emergency Response Marathon Team, thanks to a partnership with John Hancock, will include 41 runners that range from family members of former patients, to Mass General employees and longtime hospital supporters. To date, the emergency response team has raised over $1 million for essential programs and services.

“We are grateful to our runners and the awareness they bring to emergency medicine at Mass General,” said David Brown, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Funds raised by the Emergency Response Team ensure that hospital is ready for the next disaster, whether it’s man-made or natural. These funds support the vital training and resources needed to develop a carefully, integrated response that spans multiple departments throughout the hospital.”

To learn more about the Mass General Emergency Response Team, please go to www.crowdrise.com/mgherresponseteam

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– Submitted by Rasky Partners, Inc.