WASHINGTON, DC, NOVEMBER 2, 2015. On November 1, 2015, five runners in the TCS New York Marathon ran to help break the cycle of poverty, raising more than $43,500 for the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), a partner charity in the race. The nonprofit Foundation’s programs help communities in Asia and Africa improve their quality of life. All five members of the AKF Run Team showed their passion for supporting solutions that build meaningful change. The team’s members represented life experience ranging from Chicago to India. Along with their fundraising success, they demonstrated the Foundation’s values of inclusivity and connection, and the idea that we are stronger together.

The Foundation was honored by the dedication of these runners to break the cycle of poverty, improve the quality of life for all, and create a better future. The AKF team runners are:

• Badruddin “Brad” Jiwani: Brad, who lives in Aurora, IL, ran his first marathon in 2007 and has run six marathons in the Chicago area. He runs for the Aga Khan Foundation to make a difference in the lives of people in Africa and Asia. The 2015 TCS New York Marathon was his way of combining a passion for running with a cause he believes in.
• Adil Lakhani: Adil and his wife are newlyweds from Chicago, IL who wanted to commemorate their first anniversary with something meaningful for them both. They decided to celebrate in New York with Adil running with the AKF Run Team, a way to show his gratitude and give back.
• Azhar Bande-Ali: Azhar grew up in India, now living in Decatur, GA where he knew the Aga Khan Foundation through its health and education services. Azhar ran the 2015 TCS New York Marathon as a way to show his gratitude to the Foundation for its work. Through his outreach and fundraising efforts, he shared the work of the Foundation with friends and family.
• Meegan Napholz: Meegan, a mother of three from New Jersey, has been a runner since she was a teenager. At her first marathon in Boston she learned of the Aga Khan Foundation’s work supporting early childhood development in East Africa. Inspired to give back, she applied to join the AKF Run Team. Meegan ran the New York race so that young children may flourish in life.
• Shannon Rowley: When Meegan first told her sister Shannon about the Aga Khan Foundation, Shannon jumped at the opportunity. Shannon, also from New Jersey is inspired by the way the Foundation invests in people to break the cycle of poverty. She ran the 2015 TCS New York Marathon with the AKF Run Team to bring change to communities in Asia and Africa.

Read the full press release here.