BHS Grad Runs Poverty Awareness Marathon for Charity

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Brookfield High School (BHS) grad Jeffrey Sullinger and a student at Eastern Connecticut State University majoring in Sport and Leisure Management, class of 2013, was among more than 125 runners who recently participated in the third annual Poverty Awareness Marathon.

Athletes from Eastern's men's lacrosse team, women's soccer team, volleyball and softball teams, and numerous other Eastern organizations participated. The marathon helped Health and Physical Education Professor Charles Chatterton collect more than 600 nonperishable items to donate to a local food pantry in Willimantic.

The marathon is part of Chatteron's Taking Strides of Brake the Cycle of Poverty initiative and his 48th since he began running marathons in 2006 to raise public awareness of poverty in America. 

The marathon, coordinated by Eastern's Center for Community Engagement, exceeded the goal of 462 nonperishable items, which reflects the estimated 46.2 million people now living in poverty in America, the highest number in 52 years. The items were donated to the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic.