Franklin Lakes Man Begins Charitable Run Back To Boston Ahead Of Marathon
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Terrorists' bombs prevented Larry Grogin from finishing last year's Boston Marathon, so he's heading back for this year's race _ on foot.
Grogin set off from his hometown of Franklin Lakes with running partner John Renaldo of Wayne. Grogin plans to run the 250 miles to Boston by next weekend. Then, he'll run in the race on April 21.
Grogin was just turning the corner toward the finish line last year when bombs exploded, killing three people and injured hundreds. The 59-year-old wasn't injured by the blasts.
"I was about 100 yards from the finish line. We watched the bombs go off," Grogin said.
He's running to benefit the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, a charity founded in the late 1980s by late actor Paul Newman to serve children coping with serious illnesses. Grogin plans to visit hospitals and camps during his run to Boston.
Grogin has been training for the lengthy trek with John Renaldo.
"We've spent 10-zillion hours a day together. We spent hours and hours and hours," he said.
The Hole in the Wall fundraising team will be joining Grogin and Renaldo during the marathon, CBS 2's Janelle Burrell reported.
On Sunday, fundraisers were on hand to cheer on Gorgin and supporters who joined him on the first leg of his journey.
So far, Gorgin's team has raised $60,000, he hopes to raise another $40,000 between now and the end of the marathon.
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