Westwood Man to Run for Suicide Prevention in Boston Marathon

As the 116th annual Boston Marathon nears on Monday, April 16, more than a dozen Westwood residents have already registered for the race. 

One of those residents is Westwood's own Marc Bellanger, who is taking his first stab at the marathon this year. 

"It's been great," said Bellanger, who has been a Westwood resident for about three and a half years. "It's been a terrific winter training for the marathon, with the pretty mild weather we've had."

And he's not going at it alone, either. Bellanger will be running with about 15 others in support of The Samaritans, a premier suicide prevention organization serving the Greater Boston and Metrowest areas. 

Additionally, Bellanger's wife Suzanne will be running on behalf of Children's Hospital. It is the couple's first time participating in the marathon.

Bellanger first become involved with The Samaritans through a 5K run/walk in 2004. He lost his father to suicide in 2003, an event that prompted him to look for assistance with The Samaritans as a way to cope with loss and help others avoid a similar incident. He has since volunteered with the organization in a number of ways, and has served as a board member since 2005. 

"I was trying to make a positive experience with an organization that could help me personally overcome that tragedy, and help others avoid what I went through," Bellanger told Westwood Patch. "They've got programs that help on a number of fronts."

And on April 16, he'll join the Samaritans Team, which comprises 10 others who are apart of the John Hancock Marathon Program that has helped 6,000 marathon runners raise millions of dollars on behalf of Boston-area organizations.

The Samaritans were chosen as one of more than 50 non-profits to participate in the program this year, and runners have agreed to raise at least $5,000 for Samaritans. 

"The goal is to reduce the incidents of suicide in Massachusetts," he said. 

To date, Bellanger has raised about $9,000, far exceeding his original goal of $5,000. The team overall has raised $80,000, and is pushing $90,000 as the marathon inches closer. The team's original goal was to raise $70,000.

All funds raised will directly support Samaritans’ services, including their 24/7 crisis helpline, which answers more than 150,000 calls last year. 

"I'm really glad about that," he said. 

To learn more about The Samaritans, visit the group's webpage at Samaritanshope.org.