November 7, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
LEE PESKY LEARNING CENTER’S DR. EVELYN JOHNSON TO RUN ALTERNATE NY MARATHON ROUTE IN BOISE ON NOVEMBER 11, 2012
Boise, IDAHO - (November 7, 2012) Lee Pesky Learning Center (LPLC) Executive Director, Dr. Evelyn S. Johnson, will run the length of the New York Marathon (26.2 miles) in Boise on Sunday, November 11, 2012 to honor the generosity and display of support made by donors who contributed over $15,000 to Lee Pesky Learning Center in support of Johnson’s planned NY Marathon run that was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.
Dr. Johnson flew to Philadelphia last Thursday, November 1, 2012 following an announcement that the NY Marathon was moving ahead as planned following Hurricane Sandy. However, after making it from Philadelphia to New York City, Johnson learned, like many other runners, that the Marathon had been cancelled on Friday, November 2.Johnson began training for the NY Marathon in the summer with a goal of raising $26,200 ($1,000 per marathon mile) for Lee Pesky Learning Center’s “Running for Learning Campaign.”
Since the summer, Johnson has run over 1,000 miles in training. To date, LPLC has raised $15,000 to provide scholarships for children, teens and adults with learning disabilities at Lee Pesky Learning Center through the “Running for Learning Campaign.”
“I will be running the 26.2 miles in Idaho on Sunday, November 11, 2012 beginning at 9 am at Lee Pesky Center”, Dr. Evelyn Johnson said. “Lee Pesky Learning Center is located at: 3324 Elder Street, Boise, Idaho 83705. I will make my way down from LPLC to Park Center and onto the Greenbelt to Warm Springs, where I will circle back through Julia Davis Park along the Greenbelt near Idaho River Sports, and back to Capitol, finishing up the hill on Vista to Lee Pesky Learning Center’s office on Elder. One of our learning specialists, Mary Jo Surges Proktop, noted that this alternate plan is in keeping with what we do best at Lee Pesky Learning Center. Often the course for a child with learning disabilities is not the same as it is for the rest. No matter what course one takes, with strategies in place, there’s a way to accomplish our goals.”
In addition to thanking donors, Johnson and her staff at Lee Pesky Learning Center hope to raise awareness for the hurricane relief efforts. If people want to help with Sandy relief efforts they can give directly through the Red Cross.
“When I started training this summer, my focus was on raising money and awareness to help kids with learning disabilities (1 in 10 kids have some form of a learning disability that impacts their ability to learn and do well in school), but after making it to New York and seeing the devastation there and in surrounding areas, this has become about something larger. It is about making good on promises and showing support for people in need,” stated Johnson. “We are working on a “Running for Learning” team for the NY Marathon next year and are considering holding a walk on the same day in 2013 in Boise to help kids with learning disabilities.
(Alternate Boise Marathon Route)
Dr. Johnson received her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1999 and holds a joint appointment as the Executive Director of Lee Pesky Learning Center and as Professor of Special Education at Boise State University (BSU). Johnson is an avid runner and this will be her 19th marathon.
Lee Pesky Learning Center is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization.
Contact Info: Hallie Kelly, Director of Development
LEE PESKY LEARNING CENTER
hkelly@lplearningcenter.org
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LEE PESKY LEARNING CENTER, an Idaho non-profit, has been working to improve the lives of children, teens and adult with learning disabilities through prevention, evaluation, treatment and research since 1997. By working in partnership with parents, school districts, community organizations and national experts in the field of learning disabilities and education, LPLC provides support services that help children succeed in school. LEE PESKY LEARNING CENTER, with clinics in Boise, Caldwell, Hailey and Ketchum, offers One-on-One Testing and Academic Evaluation, Academic Intervention, Counseling, Teacher Training, and Early Literacy Education. Funds are raised annually to underwrite program and service delivery costs, and to provide financial assistance to those in need.