My name is Marisa Gianfortune and I am running my 2nd NYC marathon this year. I am very excited to run for the Nicholas Rossomando 9/11 Memorial Scholarship Fund.

When choosing a charity to raise funds for I wanted to select a charity I could relate to, that resonated with me on a personal level. The Nicholas Rossomando 9/11 Memorial Scholarship Fund appealed to me on many levels. I was born and raised in Staten Island, NY. I was a high school student athlete, playing basketball and running track. I was the recipient of an athletic scholarship to college, which alleviated the financial burden of my college education. And, as a New Yorker, I remember exactly where I was when I heard of the planes hitting the World Trade Center and every minute thereafter of September 11, 2001.

Racing for this charity gives me the opportunity to pay tribute to a hero as well as to raise funds for two student athletes, and as such grants me the ability to pay forward multiple blessings, both how fortunate I was as a student athlete and how blessed all New Yorkers were that we had firemen like Nicholas Rossomando whose bravery is still inspiring – eleven years later.