Lincoln County, Oregon, May 22, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Cassandra Marsh, 22, has recently registered for the New York Marathon, and this is for a purpose. She is asking people to sponsor her to run the marathon, with the raised funds to go to a guide dog school. Specifically, she aims to run to help finance Guide Dogs for the Blind. What is even more interesting is that Cassandra Marsh was blinded in an accident five years ago, but she still wants to join the marathon as way to help other blind people.
She says: "My eyes were accidentally exposed to harsh chemicals, and I went blind. What happened was that one day I could see everything and then there was the accident and it was all gone. To say that I was caught unaware would be an understatement and I have to admit that I went through some of the darkest periods of my life, no pun intended, after it happened. But then I came to accept that this was now my life, and I decided to do something good about it."
And she did something about it! She was provided with a guide dog through Guide Dogs for the Blind, and this changed her life.
"Since 1942, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has been creating partnerships between people, dogs, and communities. With exceptional client services and a robust network of instructors, puppy raisers, donors, and volunteers, we prepare highly qualified guide dogs to serve and empower individuals who are blind or have low vision from throughout the United States and Canada."-guidedogs.com
The guide dogs and services provided by GDB are all free of charge, which actually was a surprise to Cassandra Marsh. She says: "I come from a very well to do family, and I genuinely didn't know that there were services like this - that some people will go out of their way to make the lives of others better and don't expect payment in return for it. Again, no pun intended, but that really opened my eyes!"
Cassandra Marie Marsh's dog, Sniffles, is her trusted companion and they spend every moment together. Before her accident, she was always very active, something that she missed perhaps more than her sight. But once she became accustomed to having a guide dog, she started wondering whether she would be able to run again, only this time with a dog. It took a long time and many stumbles, but eventually she figured out a pace that would enable her dog to keep her safe.
The next thing she did was register for the New York Marathon.
"The first New York City Marathon, organized in 1970 by Fred Lebow and Vince Chiappetta, was held entirely in Central Park. Of 127 entrants, only 55 men finished; the sole female entrant dropped out due to illness. Winners were given inexpensive wristwatches and recycled baseball and bowling trophies. The entry fee was $1 and the total event budget was $1,000. The 2016 TCS New York City Marathon on November 6, 2016, had a record number of finishers, 51,388, setting a new mark as the largest marathon on the world."-tcnycmarathon.org
Cassandra Marie Marsh is therefore asking people to sponsor her race. She had set herself a $5,000 target, which she has already exceeded, with her current sponsorship standing at twice as much. All of this money, and whatever else she continues to raise between now and the marathon, will go directly to the guide dog organization, which has helped her to once again live a fulfilling life. She will be the first woman to run a marathon together with a guide dog. She won't be one of the first to finish, nor does she aim to be. But finish it she plans to do, with the help of her trusted dog Sniffles by her side.
Source: Cassandra Marie Marsh
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