Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes

The Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes is a weekend filled with great activities for runners and their families alike. It is the first spring marathon to ever be held in this part of the state. Events include a marathon, marathon-relay, half-marathon, 5k, mile run, community bike ride, health expo, and pasta dinner.

The Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes is a charitable marathon designed to raise support for our Shoes for Kids Program and other philanthropic efforts of the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary Club. More than 10,000 children in Cedar Rapids Metro Area schools qualify for free or reduced lunch. Many of these students have other unmet needs, as basic as shoes. Shoes for Kids provides health administrators in the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area with “shoe cards,” valued at $20 each to Payless Shoe Source. Cards are distributed to students with inadequate footwear. Many times, with parental permission, the school nurses or counselors actually take the kids shopping for shoes. We often hear of this being the first time these students have bought their own new pair of shoes. The program began in 2003 and has provided more than $45,000 in shoes to needy children. Each year the need outweighs the financial resources. The Marion Rotary Marathon for Shoes will allow us to grow this program across our community and region.

Learn more at www.marathonforshoes.com