Monmouth University employee and Long Branch resident Eric Mochnacz will be running the New York City marathon for the first time on November 4 to raise money for cystic fibrosis research on of behalf of his nephew Aidan.
Eric explains: “A few days after he was born, my nephew Aidan was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. It is a respiratory/lung disease that will present a number of challenges through Aidan’s life. At seven years old, he has undergone more surgeries than I will ever have to endure in my lifetime, and he goes through a daily treatment of pills and port flushes and other things I don’t understand just to make sure that he has lung function. What stands out to me about Aidan isn’t the fact that he has cystic fibrosis, it’s the fact that he has such a zeal, vigor and enjoyment for life that I only wish I could imitate. He is truly an inspiration.”
Eric will be running with Team Boomer. Team Boomer is a program that encourages people with cystic fibrosis to incorporate exercise into their everyday lives; provides an avenue for individual athletes in a variety of sports to raise money for cystic fibrosis; and offers assistance to grassroots athletic events looking for a cause to support.
Donations can be made through the First Giving website by visiting:
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/eric-mochnacz/2012-ing-nyc-marathon
As of October 24, Eric has raised $3,156.