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Running for Perkins School for the Blind

By contributor,
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Hopkinton resident Kathryn Traut will run the Boston Marathon® on April 16, but not to set a new record or win the race. She’s running to raise money for Perkins School for the Blind.

Traut is one of 10 runners on the Perkins charity team who will pound the pavement for 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston to raise over $50,000 for people who are blind or visually impaired. Traut has personally committed to raising $5,000.

The Perkins team, which includes runners from around the country, is the only charity team in the 116th B.A.A. Boston Marathon that focuses exclusively on helping people with visual impairments. All donations will fund the Watertown, Mass.-based school’s on-campus, regional and international programs.

Traut, 32, said she first thought about running for charity in 2004 when she ran the Boston Marathon and saw people running for non-profit organizations.

“I was amazed to see how many people were pushing themselves for a cause they believed in,” she said. “I want a chance to do the same.”

Traut didn’t have to look far to find a good cause. She’s worked at Perkins for more than a year as a teacher in the Lower School.

“I decided to run the marathon because I really love my job,” she said. “Perkins really has a profound impact on so many people. My students inspire me to run, as well as the dedicated staff that I am surrounded by.”

To support Traut’s marathon run and make a donation to Perkins, visit Traut's Fundraising Website..

PerkinsSchool for the Blind, the nation’s first school for the visually impaired, provides education and services to help build productive, meaningful lives for 200,000 people who are blind or deafblind, including those with additional disabilities. Founded in 1829, Perkins pursues this mission on campus, in the community and in more than 60 countries around the world. Learn moret online.