78.6 "Magical" Miles for Marli
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78.6 “Magical” Miles for Marli
I was not in the Military, but Cody Wilson was and that is why I am going to run 3 full marathons in 3 straight weekends in 3 different states in order to raise $5,000.00 to send his daughter Marli Jo and what was his soon to be fiancé Rachel Feigel to Walt Disney World this summer with your help of course. I have signed up for and will be running the Carmel Marathon on April 18th, 2015, the Kentucky Derby Marathon on April 25th, 2015, and the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon on May 3rd, 2015 for a total mileage of 78.6 miles during the 3 weekends. ALL of the donations will be going to the Disney trip and if we are lucky enough to raise more money than what is needed for the trip, all of that will be going into a fund that has already been set up in Marli Jo’s name for life expenses. Rachel and Marli have been in what many would consider one of the “hardest places on earth” with Cody’s passing, but with all of your help I want to try and send them to what most would consider one of the “happiest places on earth” to get away and enjoy life to the fullest with each other. I have never met his daughter or Rachel and to be fully honest he and I were probably not much more than “buddies” who hung out with mutual friends from time to time. However, I have a vested interest in this situation because of a couple different circumstances that I can relate to with my personal life.
1. For a period of time in my life I was a single father doing the best I could with what resources I had. I wanted and still want the absolute best for my daughter and would do anything for her to have a wonderful life, filled with opportunities just the same as Cody wanted and still wants for Marli from up above. Being a single father isn’t easy and just as I was able to do, he was fortunate enough to meet a woman who was willing to accept him and his daughter into her life and make plans to eventually become a family of three. Looking through his pictures on Facebook, his relationship with Rachel reminded me a lot of some of the things my daughter and I were able to experience as my current wife and I were developing a relationship. This is the way that his life was headed as well so it was very satisfying for me to see the three of them doing things together because those were all things that my wife, daughter and I had gotten to enjoy together. I have come to realize a woman doesn't have to be a biological mother to a child to have a huge amount of influence on the way a child turns out, so when I see a woman who is willing to take on that responsibility and challenge it really tugs on me since Cody was fortunate enough to have found the woman who would do anything for his child, just the same as I had been fortunate enough to find.
2. As I stated above, I was never in the military and don’t know if I could’ve handled it even if I had decided to join at some point. Although, I respect the hell out of men and women who are in the different branches of service. I have a brother, who just like Cody was in the Army and sacrificed a lot for all of the freedoms that people sometime take for granted. Cody spent multiple times overseas fighting for the same freedoms that my brother and all of the other men and women in the armed services fight for that people like me enjoy day in and day out. The closest I have been to the military has been reading “American Sniper”, “Lone Survivor”, and “Unbroken.” Those stories have been glamorized through movies, but there is nothing glamorous about those situations if you are the one put in them I could only imagine. Those men and women are willing to sacrifice everything for me and other Americans so running 3 marathons in consecutive weekends is the least I can do for someone who has been through multiple tours overseas. Cody’s and thousands of other military member’s stories will never be played out in a movie theater, but are just as important and need to be recognized the same. I guess I look at running three marathons to raise money for his fiancé’ and daughter to take a well-deserved trip together as a way to say thank you to a person who fought for my and our freedom.
I hope all of you took a moment to read my explanation for wanting to raise money for two people I have never met. Most of all, I hope this cause is something worth donating your hard earned money to. I appreciate your time and consideration.
I was not in the Military, but Cody Wilson was and that is why I am going to run 3 full marathons in 3 straight weekends in 3 different states in order to raise $5,000.00 to send his daughter Marli Jo and what was his soon to be fiancé Rachel Feigel to Walt Disney World this summer with your help of course. I have signed up for and will be running the Carmel Marathon on April 18th, 2015, the Kentucky Derby Marathon on April 25th, 2015, and the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon on May 3rd, 2015 for a total mileage of 78.6 miles during the 3 weekends. ALL of the donations will be going to the Disney trip and if we are lucky enough to raise more money than what is needed for the trip, all of that will be going into a fund that has already been set up in Marli Jo’s name for life expenses. Rachel and Marli have been in what many would consider one of the “hardest places on earth” with Cody’s passing, but with all of your help I want to try and send them to what most would consider one of the “happiest places on earth” to get away and enjoy life to the fullest with each other. I have never met his daughter or Rachel and to be fully honest he and I were probably not much more than “buddies” who hung out with mutual friends from time to time. However, I have a vested interest in this situation because of a couple different circumstances that I can relate to with my personal life.
1. For a period of time in my life I was a single father doing the best I could with what resources I had. I wanted and still want the absolute best for my daughter and would do anything for her to have a wonderful life, filled with opportunities just the same as Cody wanted and still wants for Marli from up above. Being a single father isn’t easy and just as I was able to do, he was fortunate enough to meet a woman who was willing to accept him and his daughter into her life and make plans to eventually become a family of three. Looking through his pictures on Facebook, his relationship with Rachel reminded me a lot of some of the things my daughter and I were able to experience as my current wife and I were developing a relationship. This is the way that his life was headed as well so it was very satisfying for me to see the three of them doing things together because those were all things that my wife, daughter and I had gotten to enjoy together. I have come to realize a woman doesn't have to be a biological mother to a child to have a huge amount of influence on the way a child turns out, so when I see a woman who is willing to take on that responsibility and challenge it really tugs on me since Cody was fortunate enough to have found the woman who would do anything for his child, just the same as I had been fortunate enough to find.
2. As I stated above, I was never in the military and don’t know if I could’ve handled it even if I had decided to join at some point. Although, I respect the hell out of men and women who are in the different branches of service. I have a brother, who just like Cody was in the Army and sacrificed a lot for all of the freedoms that people sometime take for granted. Cody spent multiple times overseas fighting for the same freedoms that my brother and all of the other men and women in the armed services fight for that people like me enjoy day in and day out. The closest I have been to the military has been reading “American Sniper”, “Lone Survivor”, and “Unbroken.” Those stories have been glamorized through movies, but there is nothing glamorous about those situations if you are the one put in them I could only imagine. Those men and women are willing to sacrifice everything for me and other Americans so running 3 marathons in consecutive weekends is the least I can do for someone who has been through multiple tours overseas. Cody’s and thousands of other military member’s stories will never be played out in a movie theater, but are just as important and need to be recognized the same. I guess I look at running three marathons to raise money for his fiancé’ and daughter to take a well-deserved trip together as a way to say thank you to a person who fought for my and our freedom.
I hope all of you took a moment to read my explanation for wanting to raise money for two people I have never met. Most of all, I hope this cause is something worth donating your hard earned money to. I appreciate your time and consideration.
Organizer and beneficiary
Kory Coleman
Organizer
Brownsburg, IN
Rachel Feigel
Beneficiary