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PGA REACH WNY Marathon

2022 PGA REACH WNY Marathon

Presented by Praxis Financial Group

On Saturday, July 9th, 2022, partners and volunteers with PGA REACH Western NY will be running a *Marathon to raise funds and awareness for PGA REACH WNY initiatives. The team hopes to raise $25,000 from this campaign to support growth of the game initiatives. The funds raised will go to programs supporting our founding pillars: Military, Youth and Diversity/Inclusion.

This year, the Western New York PGA is partnering with Girls on the Run Buffalo to “reach” even more of our local community members. Part of the proceeds from the run will go to helping this local Buffalo chapter fulfill their mission of “creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams”.

Some of our team members are life-long runners and athletes, while others are not. It takes great courage to run a marathon, but our team is so passionate about the work PGA REACH WNY is doing that they are willing to go to the great lengths required to complete a marathon to raise support.

*Other running options include a 1/2 marathon, 10k, and 5k.

Click Here to Register as a Runner for REACH >>> Sign Me Up!

Click Here to Donate to the team! >>> PGA REACH WNY Marathon Fundraiser

Event Details for Runners

Date: Saturday, July 9th

Place: We will meet at Glen Oak Golf Club in East Amherst, NY for an opening ceremony, then the run will take place on a marked trail in Clarence.  (Information for runners will be provided in June, including a carb dinner the night before and a post run reception)

Time: Marathon runners will start at 9:00AM, a second wave of runners will start at 10:00AM

Click Here to Register as a Runner for REACH >>> Sign Me Up!

Other details:

  • Registration is free! We just ask that you commit to raising at least $50, keeping in mind that our goal is $25,000!
  • Fundraising will be through a team GoFundMe – after you register as a runner using the link below, you will receive an email from GoFundMe to register under the event
    • Through GoFundMe, you will have your own link for donors to use that is connected to the team page but is unique to you
    • The link to the GoFundMe team page is here >>> PGA REACH WNY Marathon Fundraiser
  • A swag bag will be provided prior to the race for all registered runners
  • Contact Tori Schiro, vschiro@pgahq.com, with any questions
Here’s how you can help:

Donation: If you are willing and able to donate, we invite you to visit our GoFundMe Page Here: PGA REACH WNY Marathon Fundraiser

Support: If you want to show your support in a different way, we invite you to share our fundraiser via social media, word of mouth and more! We also invite you to learn about the PGA REACH WNY Marathon team by reading their profiles. You can follow the journey on our social media platforms:

Meet the Team

Bob Powalski

Partner/Co-Founder
Praxis Financial Group

Bob will be running his second marathon this year to help support the PGA REACH WNY Program. His interest in running started with Basketball and then continuing the habit for personal fitness. Bob was first asked to join the team by his cousin, Steven Bartkowski, and good friend, John Osberg. Now he is excited to train with the purpose of running a marathon and to work with a great group of people to help promote the PGA REACH WNY Foundation.

John Osberg

Founder & CEO
OZmosis Consulting

John has been an avid runner and fitness goer since he was young. He takes after his father who is a nationally ranked runner (on the list of running streaks). John is running the marathon to support an incredible cause in PGA HOPE and PGA REACH WNY that supports our military veteran heroes/heroines. He looks forward to supporting his running teammates while raising a huge awareness for the golf focused programs for the community through PGA REACH. John has known about PGA REACH for some years now, but started to get deeply involved in January 2020. Becoming close friends with incredible humans like Nick Martone, USMC and National PGA HOPE Ambassador, and having great friendships with Steven Bartkowski, former Executive Director of WNYPGA and PGA REACH WNY, in addition to mentor Tim Fries, PGA, the owner of Glen Oak Golf Club have encouraged him to get more and more involved in PGA REACH.

Tim Fries, PGA

PGA Professional
Owner
Glen Oak Golf Course

Tim is a strong advocate and supporter of PGA REACH WNY. As an experienced PGA Professional in Western NY, President of the PGA REACH Board of Trustees, and owner of Glen Oak Golf Club, Tim has advocated for programs like PGA Junior League, PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), Special Olympics NY, PGA WORKS and so much more. He is excited to run with a great group of people who all share the passion to support growing the game of golf.

Ryan Funk

Pro Shop Manager
Glen Oak Golf Course

Ryan is a former Men's Basketball Student-Athlete at Marist College. He is excited to run to support PGA REACH WNY. Ryan has a lot of running experience from playing sports all his life. While working at Glen Oak Golf Club, Ryan learned about PGA REACH WNY and even had the opportunity to play with a few Veterans from the PGA HOPE program. He has had the chance to see the difference golf can make in the lives of those who PGA RECAH serves so he is excited to run to support the cause.