AKF Run Team member, Sulfyna Murji.
With the Boston Marathon a few days away, the three runners on the first-ever AKF Run Team have been hard at work — not only training for the intense 26.2 mile race they’ll be running on Monday, but also working to reach their fundraising goals. Now the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA) team got another boost for the last leg: recognition of Sulfyna Murji by the marathon’s organizers for individual fundraising prowess.
Sulfyna set herself a very high bar: to raise over $1,000 per mile, for a total of $26,200. By April 17, not only had she met that goal, but surpassed it to raise over $27,000! John Hancock, the marathon’s sponsor, contacted Sulfyna to acknowledge her achievement – she ranks as one of the Top 20 Fundraisers for the entire marathon.
“Apparently I’m a top 20 fundraiser for the 2014 Boston Marathon!” Sulfyna posted on her blog. She added, “They’re giving me two tickets for the Red Sox and Orioles game on Friday night at Fenway Park! I also get to meet Boston Marathon Legends: Greg Meyer, Joan Benoit-Samuelson and Billy Rogers. Somebody pinch me.”
Nargis Solis, volunteer coach for the team and a two-time Iron Man competitor and marathon runner in her own right, credits Sulfyna’s dedication. “She kept this going,” says Nargis. “Just to get into this year’s marathon is big. To take on that individual commitment to a very high goal – on top of the physical training – says a lot about her.” Out of about 950 charity partner runners in this year’s Boston marathon (in a total field of 36,000 runners), Sulfyna’s achievement puts her in the top 2 percent in individual fundraising.
Each member of the AKF Run Team has committed to raising at least $10,000 for AKF USA’s programs and all have shown tremendous dedication. Our runners, Richard, Amira, and Sulfyna, have all talked about their reasons for running and their commitment to our work in our series of video blogs. Their dedication to both training and fundraising inspire us every day.
In her video, Sulfyna says, “The Boston Marathon is one of those iconic races and I’ve had it on my bucket list for years.” She continues, “To be part of a run team like this and represent an organization like AKF — that embodies the values of compassion, tolerance and peace, and service to others – is a wonderful opportunity. I’ve seen firsthand the impact of these programs.”
“There is no motivation like thinking of the communities and the programs that will be helped to be funded by our efforts,” she says. We at AKF USA are very proud of all our runners. Please show your support! Check out their Crowdrise page and show some love to get them to the finish line.