STATE COLLEGE – When recent Princeton graduate Matteo DeVincenzo’s plan to begin his new career at a New York City law firm was derailed due to the impact of COVID-19, he decided to use the time to raise money for the American Cancer Society by running 15 miles every day for 30 days in 30 different states.
On Thanksgiving, DeVincenzo completed his Pennsylvania run when he hit the pavement in State College, which also gave him the opportunity to spend the holiday with his family.
Former American Cancer Society National Board Chair Dan Heist (pictured in photo right with DeVincenzo) met with DeVincenzo during his State College visit, thanking him for helping to raise awareness of and money to support the ACS mission.
Before he finishes Dec. 20, DeVincenzo will have run in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, California and Nevada.
“It is both liberating yet unsettling,” DeVincenzo commented when asked about the reason he’s pursuing this ambitious month-long marathon.
“Cancer has impacted my family drastically over my lifetime. My grandfather passed away from colon cancer in 2009, and my grandmother and aunt have both fought the disease.
“There are no words to describe the amount of suffering that an individual – and their family – undergoes when fighting cancer; but on this journey, I hope to do my part in honoring those impacted, while enduring a form of hardship on my own.”
People wishing to make a donation in support of DeVincenzo’s journey can do so by visiting https://pledgeit.org/roda-sodaa-30×30/@matteo-devincenzo.
