Going the Distance for Tackle Kids Cancer

Pat Mahady loves to run. He runs in half marathons, full marathons, pub crawls, brewery races, you name it. He’ll even run the 2.5 miles home from work at Hackensack University Medical Center, where he’s been employed since 1991 and currently serves as the senior exercise physiologist.

Over the years, Pat, 60, has run thousands of miles, but the truly impressive part is that he runs mostly for charity. In fact, he has personally raised nearly $7,000 for the Tackle Kids Cancer program at the Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack Meridian Health by organizing charity races, serving as the captain of volunteer running teams and collecting donations from his vast network.

His philanthropic endeavors began when he was young. “I realized how gratifying it was to help people and to donate my time and energy to a cause,” he says. “I’ve made a lot of good friends along the way, too.”

Pat started by helping Vietnam veteran organizations throw fundraiser parties, where he volunteered by checking wristbands, serving drinks, digging pits for barbecue coals and cooking food.

But today, as a grandfather of 10, Pat loves the opportunity to help kids. Last November, he was the Tackle Kids Cancer team captain of 31 runners in the annual New York Road Runners TCS New York City Marathon.

“As the captain and an avid runner, I sent out a lot of motivational emails to our team, recruited others to raise money and recommended specific training schedules,” he says.

He also ran the marathon. His goal was to finish the race in under five hours, and he proudly finished in four hours, 55 minutes and 35 seconds. Pat is planning a few races in 2020, with all his fundraising dollars going directly to Tackle Kids Cancer.

“Pat is an incredible human being,” says Lauren Willis, director of annual giving at Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation. “He gives back in so many ways. He’s the perfect embodiment of a Hackensack Meridian Health team member, and I’m so proud to know him.”

Join #TeamTKC at our next race. Tackle Kids Cancer is an official charity partner for the TCS New York City Marathon. Learn more at TackleKidsCancer.org, or contact us at TackleKidsCancer@HackensackMeridian.com or 551-996-3720.

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