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Valentine’s Day Weekend's Cupid's Undie Run a HUGE Success; Raises $300,000+ for Children’s Tumor Foundation!

Putting the “hilarity” back in “charity,” on February 11, 2012 nearly 3,000 runners nationwide stripped down to their undies and braved the frigid February temps to raise money and awareness for a rather “undie-scussed” issue, neurofibromatosis (NF). Benefiting the Children’s Tumor Foundation, this effort raised more than $300,000 for medical research into treatments for NF. 

Washington D.C.’s wildly popular Cupid’s Undie Run expanded its jaw-dropping charity race to New York, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Denver, and Seattle. Even with five first-year cities, the event sold out in almost every market. It seems Cupid’s has struck a nerve! 

Locals in each city lined the streets to catch the hundreds of scantily-clad joggers racing along Pennsylvania Ave in D.C., 15th Street in NYC, and the waterfront in Seattle, among other locales. 

Cupid’s story is simple: friends Brendan Hanrahan, Chad Leathers, and Bobby GIll founded the event two years ago in D.C., inspired by Leathers’ youngest brother Drew who lives with schwannomatosis.  The team wanted to keep the "fun" in fundraising, and there is no doubt that they have succeeded. Their crazy idea has not only turned heads, but turned a local event into a national movement. 

"What’s so amazing about Cupid’s,” commented co-founder Chad Leathers of the Chidren's Tumor Foundation, “is the level of passion exhibited from runners, spectators, donors, and our volunteer directors. It is truly awe inspiring!” 

Voted "Best Winter Event” in D.C. by The Washington Post in 2011, Cupid’s will surely be vying for similar honors nationwide.

For more information on the event, registration, or making a tax-deductible donation, please visit www.cupidsundierun.com.  For sponsorship or media inquiries, please contact Bobby Gill at bobby@cupidsundierun.com.  To see more photos, please click here.

Cupid's Undie Run starting line in NYC  [Photo credit: Daniel Pagel - DSPstudios.org]

Drew Leathers, Matt Stinchcomb, Jon Stinchcomb, and friends at Cupid's Undie Run Atlanta

“Dat” is Superbowl Champion Jon Stinchcomb holding THE Lombardi Trophy.  Jon is from Lilburn Georgia and cousin to the Leathers family.  He and his brother Matt (played for the Raiders in Superbowl XXXVII) have been amazing members of the Children's Tumor Foundation family, holding events like the Countdown to Kickoff and even running for the NF ENDURANCE team last March, helping to raise more than $50,000 for schwannomatosis research.

Jon, who comes in at 6’6” 325lbs, ran the first leg of a relay which was “longer than he’ll run all season.”  Matt and Jon became involved because their youngest cousin Drew suffers from schwannomatosis. However, that hasn’t stopped Drew from screamin “WHO DAT!” all season long.

Congratulations Jon and thank you for your amazing efforts.

[Chad Leathers & Jon at the ING Georgia Marathon]