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By Josh Perry
Hometown Weekly Staff
Needham resident John Shea will join thousands of runners in April as part of the field for the 2016 Boston Marathon. Shea has joined a team of runners supporting The Children’s Room in Arlington, a nonprofit that provides support for children, teenagers, and families that are grieving.
In 2013, John and his two daughters attended peer support groups at The Children’s Room after the passing of his wife Diane.
“The Children’s Room has helped us to support each other as a family, to find ways for us to honor Diane and keep her memory alive,” John said in a press release from the organization.
“The Children’s Room has also given the girls and me the opportunity to connect with and make friends with other families like our own.”
TCR Executive Director Donna Smith Sharff said, “We are deeply grateful to John for supporting TCR through such a deep commitment of his time and energy, and we look forward to supporting him all the way to the finish line.”
The Children’s Room began in 1993 in Waltham before moving to its own location in 1999. The organization brings families together to support each other and find comfort from others who understand what the family is going through.
Over the past six years, The Children’s Room’s Boston Marathon team has raised more than $400,000 for the organization. This year’s team will also receive training from Crissy Straub and Malinda Dublin of RUN MC Coaching.
For more information, visit www.childrensroom.org.
Josh Perry is an Editor at Hometown Weekly. He can be reached at news@hometownweekly.net and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.
