PHOENIX — Lee Perreira is running 16 marathons in 16 days -- just not in the direction he thought he was headed.
Back in February, Perreira had planned to run from Phoenix to Burbank, California, to raise money for four charities.
Since that time, the coronavirus made running to California impractical.
But, instead of canceling, Perreira decided he would run all 16 marathons in 16 different Arizona cities...but still in 16 days.
"We definitely pivoted from that," Perreira said. "I just feel like more than ever, you know, inspiration is needed.”
Perreira picked three charities dear to him and his family. For family members who died of cancer, he chose the AZ Cancer Foundation for Children. For a grandfather with dementia, the Arizona Health Care Foundation. And for his mother, who he said was abused, the Chrysalis domestic violence shelter.
This commitment is why he couldn't call off the run.
“It’s still a very important thing that I’m doing, even in the midst of all this," Perreira said. "You can argue that these people I'm running for need it even more now."
You can find more information about Perreira's charity efforts at 16x16inc.org.
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