Important Reminders – 2024 5K with the Stepping Strong Team!

We are just THREE weeks away from the 2024 Boston (B.A.A.) 5K and are looking forward to participating alongside you in-person on April 13 AND supporting you from afar if you are participating virtually! We appreciate your commitment to fundraise on behalf of The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation.

Resources

Runner Portal: The runner portal is your one-stop shop for all thing 5K! Click this link (https://5k.bwhevents.org/) to access team updates, fundraising tips and tricks, instructions about receiving donations, key program dates, and much more.

TeamRaiser Participant Center & Fundraising Page: Customize your personal fundraising page and use the online tools to send emails to your friends and family asking for their support. Make sure you are registered first and then click here to go to your participant center by clicking LOGIN in the upper right corner. If you need help with your login information, please reach out to team@bwh.harvard.edu.

Mark Your Calendar – 5K April Fundraising Challenge

We are excited to announce our National Unicorn Day Fundraising Challenge! The challenge will last from 12am until 11:59pm on Tuesday, April 9.

How it works: All individuals who receive five or more gifts will be entered into a chance drawing to have their 5K registration refunded! You have TWO chances to win because we’ll be picking TWO winners!

Team FAQs

  • What are the plans for race day?

6:30am: Revere Hotel* (200 Stuart Street) opens for runners; mix, mingle, and get ready for the 5K or to cheer on your friends and family!

7:25am: Team photo; walk to start line

8:00am: Race starts (start and finish line is located on Charles Street between the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common)

9:00am: Celebratory brunch and awards in the ballroom at the Revere Hotel; all are welcome to attend!

*Parking is available at the hotel and the cost is the responsibility of the runner.

  • I haven’t received my race day bib?

U.S. residents will be mailed their bib number and participant guide in late March. If you do not receive it, don’t worry! International residents, including Canada, and runners who did not receive their bib in the mail may pick up their bib number at the Boston 5K bib counter at the Boston Marathon Expo on Friday, April 12 or on race day at the Registration Tent near the start area between 6:30am and 7:45am on the Boston Common for assistance – just don’t forget a government issued ID.  Read more about B.A.A. 5K participant basics by clicking here

  • Okay, I didn’t get my bib in the mail, how do I get it?

International residents, including Canada, and runners who did not receive their bib in the mail may pick up their bib number at the Boston 5K bib counter at the Boston Marathon Expo on Friday, April 12 or on 5K race morning at the Registration Tent near the start area between 6:30am and 7:45am on the Boston Common for assistance – just don’t forget a government issued ID.

  • Whoops! I lost/damaged my 5K bib, what do I do?!

If you misplaced your bib or it gets damaged, you can get a replacement bib at the Boston 5K bib counter at the Boston Marathon Expo on Friday, April 12 or on 5K race morning at the Registration Tent near the start area between 6:30am and 7:45am on the Boston Common for assistance – just don’t forget a government issued ID.

  • I am a virtual participant, what do I need to do?

Simply complete your 5K April 12 – 14 and send us a photo at team@bwh.harvard.edu!

  • When will I get my Stepping Strong team shirt?

This year, shirts will be mailed to the address you registered with on our fundraising platform, TeamRaiser. We WILL have shirts at the Revere to exchange sizes, or pickup if you did not register on TeamRaiser by 3/15. Shirts are being mailed out via FedEx the week of 4/8/2024.

  • Help! My Stepping Strong team shirt is too big/small, what do I do?

You can bring your shirt to exchange on race morning at the Revere Hotel!

  • When is the fundraising deadline?

The deadline to raise the amount you agreed upon when registering on TeamRaiser is Thursday, April 11 at 6am EST. If you have not met the fundraising amount you agreed to at this time, your credit card will be charged the difference to get you to your commitment. If you card does not go through, we will have the ability to process donations onsite at the Revere.

  • Do you have a sample of something I could text/email/post on social media for fundraising support?

On Saturday, April 13, I will be participating in the B.A.A. 5K with the Stepping Strong team to support The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation. Our team’s goal is simple: turn tragedy into hope.

Insert photo and story of someone you are participating in honor or in memory of (if applicable).

Please consider supporting my run today with a donation. Together, we can help countless military and civilian trauma patients in Boston and beyond. Any amount will make a big difference!

Click here to donate today: insert link to your personal TeamRaiser fundraising page.

Thank you for your love and support!

  • Are there fundraising incentives?

Yes! You can qualify for great incentives when you go above and beyond your fundraising commitment. Plus, everyone who kicks-off their fundraising with a self-gift of $50 or more will receive one entry into a chance drawing for Red Sox Field Box tickets!  Please note: If you are sharing a TeamRaiser page with other individuals, the total raised will be divided based on how many people are sharing the page for fundraising incentives.

  • When will I get my fundraising incentives?

Incentives will be mailed by end of May to the address you entered while creating your TeamRaiser fundraising page.

  • Does the Brigham Stepping Strong 5K Team have a cheering zone? Can I ask my supporters to go there?

Yes! Our cheering zone is at the corner of Boylston and Charles Street – right down the street from the Revere! All are invited to attend, and we will have posters and noisemakers!

  • Can I come to the Revere if I am a virtual participant for brunch?

YES! We hope you do!!

  • Do I get a Boston 5K shirt?  

Yes! The Boston 5K shirt is different than the Brigham Team shirt and all registered in-person runners will receive.

Thank you once again for joining us for the Boston 5K! If you have any questions, please contact us at team@bwh.harvard.edu or 857 523 8052.

From start to finish,

Ali, Ally, and Caroline

Welcome from the Reny Family!

Dear Stepping Strong 5K Teammates,

We are so honored that you have joined our 2024 Stepping Strong 5K team in support of the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This is a very special year for you to be on our team while we “Celebrate 10 years of Stepping Strong” and recognize a decade of innovation and progress. Your fundraising efforts are not only meaningful to our family personally, but to all the trauma survivors who are benefitting from the Stepping Strong Center’s ever-expanding research and programs as we embark on the next decade of hope and healing.

When our family was standing at the Boston Marathon finish line that fateful day in April 2013, we had no idea how, in just one instant, our lives would be forever changed. That is the nature of trauma; it is something unexpected that puts you on a path you never anticipated. We are forever grateful we landed at the Brigham. The emergency medical team worked miracles to save our daughter Gillian’s life and lower limbs and put our family back together again in the midst of chaos.

Once we were on the road to recovery, we began to focus on how we could express the full depth of our gratitude. It felt almost impossible, but we wanted to try. We felt we had to give back to the medical heroes who had helped not only us, but also, all the other innocent victims that day in Boston. We learned that trauma is an under-recognized, under-funded medical discipline, and that a person dies every 3 minutes from trauma related injuries. This inspired us to take on the challenge and become a voice of change for trauma survivors. So, in February 2014 we started the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Fund. We had no idea if anyone would join us in this mission, but ten years later, we have been overwhelmed by the compassion and generous support of people around the world.

In 2016, we secured physical space at the Brigham and became The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation. Our goal is to transform outcomes for ALL trauma survivors, across the full spectrum of trauma care from injury prevention to innovative treatment and improved rehabilitation, whether they are soldiers injured in combat, individuals harmed in a car accident, athletes hurt on the playing field, victims of gun violence, or cancer patients in need of reconstructive limb surgery.

We are so fortunate to be part of the world class Brigham, which has been instrumental in helping us realize these goals. To date, we have raised more than $30 million dollars, funded 60 teams of physician-scientists, and trained 13 fellows in next generation strategies for injury prevention, amputee care and reconstructive surgery, all because of individuals like you. Your commitment to participating with us as a member of the Stepping Strong 5K Team is an ongoing example of the kindness of the human spirit that our family experienced firsthand in 2013. As you tie up your running (or walking) shoes on April 13, we hope you take pride in knowing that you are helping to transform outcomes for trauma survivors, like our precious daughter Gillian.

To learn about our mission through videos, newsletters, and more, visit www.bwhsteppingstrong.org.

We are so grateful you have decided to support a cause that means so much to us. Thank you helping us turn tragedy into hope.

With love and gratitude,

Audrey, Steven, Danielle, Kyle, Gillian, and Matt

P.S. As we celebrate 10 Years of Stepping Strong and transforming care for trauma survivors, here are two logos that you can use in your email signature, social pushes, text messages, etc. to mark this milestone.