Steps Together group adds beneficiaries from fund raising
By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
Last year Courtney and Mike Newman of Hillsborough were stricken to hear that Ian Progin, a high school classmate of Courtney’s, was fighting an aggressive brain tumor.
How could we help? the Newmans asked themselves.
They decided they could raise money for the Progin family. They seized upon their own background of organizing and training small groups of marathon runners as a fund-raising vehicle.
The Newmans adapted and widened the approach, soliciting people to run in a local 10-kilometer foot race for the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center last fall. The effort attracted 700 runners, with a portion of the entry fees going to the Progin fund.
After the race, Ms. Newman said, she answered a lot of calls from other groups wanting to know how the Newmans did it and looking for advice on how to replicate their efforts.
After talking to several people, Ms. Newman said she and her husband decided that they could organize a similar effort once again — this time on behalf of a number of charity groups.
So the Newmans are back at it — taking registrations, building an e-mail list that gives training and fundraising tips to runners, and leading weekly practice runs.
So far, just shy of 200 runners have enlisted for the “Steps Together” effort and just under $20,000 has been distributed to eight beneficiaries. Registrants pick and choose on a menu of eight causes to receive a part of their registration fee and other donations they are encouraged to raise.
More runners — and walkers — are encouraged to sign up and participate in the Steeplechase Distance Walk/Run race, which will be Sunday, Sept. 30, at Amsterdam School. The race offers a variety of events including a 5K walk or run, a 25-kilometer (15-mile) run and children’s sprints.
Runners join the Steps Together team by first registering for walk/run and then mailing in a $25 suggested donation to one of the beneficiaries. Participants can choose from the menu of beneficiaries by supporting one, two or even spread their donation across all eight recipients.
The Newmans are runners themselves who met at the Philadelphia Marathon in 2004. Two years later, they married. Mike, 41, is a mechanical engineer. Courtney, 34, rears the couple’s two children, ages 2 and 4.
Most of their Steps Together work gets done at night when the kids are put to bed, she said. Mr. Newman adds his efforts with the Web, graphics and materials to his wife’s overall organizational talents. Courtney sister, Rebecca Newman, rouses sponsorships and another volunteer, Derrith Spitzer, helps keep in touch with runners and others over the Web and email.
The Newmans are coaching their seventh endurance training team, but their first for multiple beneficiaries.
The Newmans led the Strides for Hope marathon team for the Cancer Support Community of Central New Jersey for five years. They would pick out a featured marathon somewhere in the country, and rouse people to join their “team” to train and raise funds that would go to pay the costs of the trip and then to the charity.
They “retired” after the birth of their second child, before came the news of Mr. Progin, a Hillsborough High School coach and guidance counselor. Last year’s massive turnout was an incredible success in providing both financial and emotional support, said Ms. Newman.
Working with an established race like the Steeplechase run/walk allows the Newmans to focus on gathering participants and raising money, rather than getting bogged down in the logistics of planning a route, getting police and government approval, soliciting race-day volunteers and asking for water, food and other gifts.
Two of the eight groups are based in Hillsborough. One is Chain of Hope, a non-profit proving financial support to local families in crisis. Chain of Hope was established by a group of life-long friends from Hillsborough after one of their own was stricken with breast cancer.In 2008, the formed to help Lisa Nawrotzki, a local school teacher and mother of three, who was battling Stage 4 breast cancer.
Another is Laurie’s Legacy, which is organized in 2009 by Hillsborough High School sophomore Stephen Wurst in honor of his late mom, Laurie Parlin, who succumbed to breast cancer. He raises money to provide support for those receiving treatment at Steeplechase Cancer Center.
The other groups are:
• Jake’s Snazzy Pistols: Honoring eight-year-old Jacob Grecco from Phillipsburg, who battled a rare and aggressive brain tumor until Aug. 1.
• Claudia’s Courage: Single mother from Weehawken who is battling her second occurrence of breast cancer after fighting a year for proper diagnosis.
• Healing for Hayley: Hayley, a 9th grader from Readington Township, diagnosed with a rare, inoperable and malignant brain tumor.
• Team Xtreme: One-year-old Xavier Thomas Ross of Glen Ridge, who is awaiting his third open heart surgery.
• Team Victory: The Guirguis family of Edison, who recently lost its husband and father to brain cancer after a six-year battle.
• Canine Battle Buddies: Canine adoption service to help soldiers adjust back to civilian life.
For information, including the beneficiaries’ full stories, business sponsorship opportunities and registrant applications, visit www.steps-together.com.

