TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- For the average person, completing a marathon is a testament to their physical fitness, stamina and mental toughness. But for two depot employees, completing this year's New York City Marathon on Nov. 2 meant so much more.
In August, depot employee Wendy Gross (a resident of Tobyhanna) reached out to a friend at Allied Services to become a part of "Ryan's Run," a campaign aimed at raising money for children and adults with disabilities led by WNEP TV's Ryan Leckey and Allied Services' Charlotte Wright. A month later, depot employee Paul Sumski (a resident of Scranton) attended a Ryan's Run fundraising event to support his wife, Alyssa, who represented Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates in the run.
During the event, Sumski was told a spot opened up for him to join the Ryan's Run campaign and was eager to take advantage of the opportunity.
"Once I heard my wife talk about the Ryan's Run events, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of," he said. "Not only did it give me a chance to run the New York City Marathon with her but also a chance to benefit a great cause."
Each runner committed to raising a minimum of $3,000 for Ryan's Run. Fundraisers ranged from selling tickets and T-shirts to hosting events at the Great Wolf Lodge and Susquehanna Brewing Company. Wright, director of special events and external affairs at Allied Services, said the effort to support the campaign was exceptional.
"Over the past few months, Wendy, Paul and the other Ryan's Run runners have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and to raise funds to benefit this cause," she said. "While running the marathon is a major time commitment, running for a cause represents an even bigger obligation."
Both Gross and Sumski have completed more than five marathons each, so training for the New York City Marathon was nothing new. But for other Ryan's Run team members it was their first time running such a distance.
"The team grows every year, drawing experienced runners and first-time marathoners who inspire our patients and employees," said Wright.
On race day, the team split up into several waves based on their projected time of finish. Even with 50,000 runners and endless spectators throughout the course, the team managed to bump into each other all along the 26.2-mile run, providing encouragement and well-wishes.
"Though the team was spread out, we still managed to run into each other a few times which helped motivate us and keep us going," said Gross.
With weather being a factor the entire day, Sumski said the excitement of the race was mixed with nervousness and uncertainty.
"The race morning was nerve-racking to say the least," he said. "Not knowing what the weather was really going to be like made it that much more unnerving, but seeing familiar faces along the course helped us all out."
Approaching mile 17, Sumski's wife began experiencing severe back pain which forced them to walk the rest of the way. What was initially a frustrating situation became a real example of what they were running for in the first place.
"The whole time I couldn't imagine the kind of pain she was pushing herself through, but it made me realize what people go through on a daily basis and what we take for granted," said Sumski.
Despite utter exhaustion, Gross said she was overcome with emotion after crossing the finish line.
"It's really humbling," she said. "Once you finish the race and you have a tough time even walking, it makes you think of what the adults and children we're running for have to go through on a daily basis. It puts everything into perspective and makes it all worth it."
Sumski agrees running for this cause was a valuable and enlightening experience.
"The blood, sweat and tears, and all the time and training you put into it, don't compare to the gratitude you feel knowing why you're running," said Sumski. "It's a feeling that's unexplainable -- it's the ultimate runner's high taken to a whole new level."
In five years of the Ryan's Run campaign, more than 100 runners, 12 corporate sponsors and countless donors have helped raise more than $1.2 million.
"Thanks to Ryan's Run, Allied Services has been able to invest in the people, services and technology that improve the quality of life of people in our area," said Wright. "From devices that help children to communicate, to therapeutic music programs, to rehab technology helping people walk again, Ryan's Run contributions have touched thousands of lives."
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
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