Little Apple Takes On Big Apple – Running to Save Lives in NYC Marathon  

MANHATTAN , KANSAS—The morning Manhattan Konza Rotary Club is excited to announce a Little Apple/Big Apple project with The Rotary Club of New York. The 62-member Konza Rotary Club, which meets bright and early every Friday morning in The Little Apple, Manhattan, Kansas, is teaming together with this triple-sized Club from The Big Apple in a friendly New York City Marathon competition. Marathoners from both clubs will be Running to Save Lives, as they help generate donations which will benefit well-known and deserving charitable causes near and far.  

Research by the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club discovered the Rotary Club of New York to be one of the few charitable organizations selected by the NYC Marathon organizers to receive guaranteed runner slots to use for charitable fundraising purposes.  Envisioning a lively, spirited match-up, the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club requested and received one of those highly-sought-after runner slots and is now an official member of the Rotary Club of New York NYC Marathon Team. 

Aptly described as “Running To Save Lives,” all donations received by check or cash by the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club will equally benefit these well-known, worthy causes:  the Manhattan KS Konza Rotary Club Polio Plus fund, a Rotary International program to eradicate polio in the world;  Gift of Life, a program which saves the lives of children born with congenital heart defects;   Ronald McDonald House;  RCNY Foundation for projects such as their inner-city soup kitchen efforts; and the Manhattan KS Konza Rotary Club for local community projects. 

The experienced 26-mile runner who will represent the Little Apple’s Manhattan Konza Rotary Club in the world’s largest marathon is Ms. Hannah Merle.  A Kansan for the past seven years, Hannah is a high school art teacher at Wamego High School, Wamego, Kansas, as well as a founding member and officer of The Little Apple Road Runners Club.  No stranger to New York, Ms. Merle was born in a small town outside of Buffalo, and ran the NYC Marathon last year.  With many marathons under her belt, this avid 35-year-old marathoner is ecstatic to be representing the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club in this year’s NYC race.  Hannah is focused and training hard toward reaching her personal goal of 3 hours and 40 minutes for this year’s NYC Marathon, which would also qualify her for the Boston Marathon. 

“In the hopes of creating a fun and unique ‘Little Apple/Big Apple’ Rotary club project, it was exciting to connect with the Rotary Club of New York to find out more about their New York City Marathon involvement,” Deb Rodenbaugh, president-elect of the Manhattan Konza Club explained. “When I contacted David Del Monte, their marathon project chair and president-elect, to pitch the idea of a ‘Little Apple’ running slot on the ‘Big Apple’ running team, he was in total agreement in the partnership potential for the project.”  Both surprised and intrigued to hear the idea and to hear that Manhattan, Kansas is truly all things ‘Little Apple,’ Mr. Del Monte agreed by saying, “This friendly competition will be great fun while helping to raise money for very worthy Rotary causes.”  For details on this project, how to volunteer and how to donate, Debra asks interested persons contact her by e-mail at:  dar83wu@gmail.com    

The Manhattan Konza Rotary Club was founded in 1997 and meets on Friday mornings in the Meadowlark Hills Community Room located at 2121 Meadowlark Rd. Manhattan, Kansas.  The Rotary Club of New York, located in Manhattan, NY, was founded in 1909, will celebrate its 100^th birthday this August. 

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Media:   For information, contact:  Debra Rodenbaugh, ph # 785-341-4903; e-mail: dar83wu@gmail.com