Bovie Medical Insights

Dear Friends,

Many of you read last year about my first Marathon experience (Chicago on 10-10-10). Seems just yesterday, but it’s been over a year… At that time I tried to explain what a thrill it is to run a Marathon, and how much time, practice, patience and effort it takes to do it. You not only need to have a clear goal in mind, but to have some kind of inspiration to do it.

My inspiration was clear: I wanted to give my kids an example that, no matter the odds, no matter your age, no matter how fit or not you are, you can achieve your goals if you try hard enough. That inspiration, and the stakes at hand (once you promise something to your kids you simply cannot fail), took me off the couch and through the toughest days of training, and helped me reach that finish line I dreamed of for so long.

This year, I’m training for the Philadelphia Marathon, and, although the main purpose continues to be the same, I now added an extra motivation, a new cause for which I want to run.

I want to run to help more kids. I want to be able to help kids who are not as lucky as ours, and who really need our helping hand!

I’m talking about the underprivileged children of the Northern part of Argentina, where poverty is tremendously high, with over 60% of the population is under the poverty level.

I’ll be running for the “Sumando Manos” foundation. A charity that started in 2005, founded by a good friend, a fellow J&J employee in Miami, who got together with other Argentines who care as much as he does about these kids, and decided TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

I found in this cause the inspiration I need to run and train even if it’s snowing in October!

Unlike any other charities where they help the fundraiser with t-shirts, paying the trip or helping in the registration, this charity gives me nothing but the satisfaction that all the money I raise goes to where it should go: Kids in need. I’m doing this from the bottom of my heart, and with the conviction that I’m doing the right thing for the right people.

I know you are very generous, donating to many charities and causes, and that’s why I’m reaching out to you. Please help me out by donating anything you can to this cause and sponsoring me to get through the finish line in Philadelphia!

If you are a US J&J employee, you should know that J&J will match 2 to 1 if you donate over 25 dollars. I thought, since I’m running 26.2 miles, I’d donate $26 dollars, so when you go to my link, you’ll see I was the first donor to my own cause!

Finally, when you are there, please share it with your facebook or twitter friends. You never know who can help.

I know Argentina is a country far far away, but it’s my country, and these are somehow my kids, and I want to do as much as I can for them.

Thank you for reading this far, here’s the link to my fundraising site.


Claudio Vilas