Lisa Raeke's Walpole Marathon Effort Raises Funds For Greyson

WALPOLE, MA - Lisa Raeke set her own course for her Boston Marathon run this weekend through Walpole. In the process, she united a community in support of a local teen.

Raeke is the founder of Goals for Greyson, which she formed last year in response to the injury of Greyson Beauregard in an accident that left him partially paralyzed last year.

Raeke created a Goals For Greyson group and Facebook page last year as well as a GoFundMe page that to date has raised more than $140,000 for his ongoing medical needs. The Norwood native originally met Greyson's mother, Deborah, in elementary school and sustained a nearly lifelong friendship. She moved to Walpole as a teen, graduated from Walpole High School, and returned when she and her husband purchased a home here in 2000.

To read more about Raeke's story and her quest to run the Boston Marathon in support of Goals for Greyson, click here.

To read more about Goals for Greyson, click to this previous article on Wicked Local.

Raeke designed a course that wove through the streets of Walpole. She requested that supporters meet her along the route or display the pallet trees sold during the holidays last year so that she could thank them for contributing to the effort over the past year.

"So many people have contributed via Facebook during the pandemic who I have never even met," she said. "This is a chance to put the names to the faces and express my gratitude."

Raeke announced on the site's Facebook page that she raised $26,042 between donations for the race and an anonymous $15,000 donation. Also, $11,042 was garnered from the sale of G4G stickers, raffles, change jars and direct donations

"Saturday’s 26.2 journey through Walpole was the perfect culmination to this fundraiser," she said on Facebook. "Starting alone in the early morning dark, it didn’t take me long to realize I wasn’t alone at all - I spotted a green #GoalsforGreyson ribbon on a telephone pole within the first few miles. I would soon come to learn my mom had posted 26 green ribbons with motivational messages throughout the route to remind me of my mission."

Lawn signs and the pallet trees also greeted her along the route, as well as carloads of well-wishers honking horns.

From mile 25, Raeke said that Beauregard and his family and friends joined her for the final stretch to the end of her course at Walpole High School. They were escorted by the Walpole Police Department.

Raeke accomplished her goal of raising enough money to purchase a functional electrical stimulation bike for Beauregard to use for his at-home physical therapy. This type of bike simulates a pedaling motion which stimulates the neural pathways between the heart and brain. It also helps with cardiac fitness, muscle mass and bone density. Bikes like this tend to cost between $15,000 and $30,000.

For more information on FES bikes, check out this link.