A Sunnyvale mother and son duo are joining more than 50,000 runners in the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 2 to raise money and awareness for a charity close to their hearts.
Runners can fundraise for the charity of their choice, and Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety detective Matt Hutchison and his mother S. Jane Schrick will be running on behalf of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The 30-year-old detective said he is looking forward to the opportunity to give back to the center, which he works with on a regular basis.
The 26.2-mile race will be Hutchison’s first full marathon, but he and his 62-year-old mother pride themselves on participating in four to five races a year.
“She is awesome; she’s 62 and she’s pushing me to get out there and be in better shape,” Hutchison said. “It was something that started just to keep doing something together, and a couple miles here and there have turned into four to five races a year. It’s special because we always cross the finish line together.”
Hutchison said the NCMEC has been helping law enforcement find missing children and prevent their exploitation for 30 years.
According to the NCMEC, as of June 2014, the center’s toll free, 24-hour call center has received more than 3,989,626 calls since it was created in 1984.
“Law enforcement officers can’t do their job without the center’s support, so this a way to help them out,” Hutchison said.
The duo has raised just over $4,000 to date and hopes to reach $6,000 before the day of the race.
In addition to running races–such as the Tough Mudder last month and the Healdsburg Half Marathon this month–Schrick said she and her son will train by increasing the miles they run each weekend leading up to the day of the marathon.
“We try to build up to a 22-mile run before the marathon,” said the cardiology nurse with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. “We both believe in the cause; obviously, it’s very dear to his heart, as he has worked a lot of cases from the National Center of Missing Children. That’s his line of work.
“It’s special for that reason and it’s special because we get to run together. Most parents don’t often get to do something like this with their kids.”
To learn more about the race or to donate, visit crowdrise.com/NCMEC2014/fundraiser/SJaneMatthewHutchison.
