WATCH: LI Man's 1st Boston Marathon As Fundraiser For Cancer Research

PLAINVIEW, NY — A Plainview man is gearing up to run in his first Boston Marathon. But, for Corey Kessler, is more than finishing with a good time. He's doing the 26.2 mile course for a good cause.

His race is a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, which has raised over $130 million for cancer research since the late 1980s.

"They chose me to do the marathon," Kessler told Patch. "They're very selective because it's usually a qualifying time, or people that probably live in Boston."

This will be Kessler 13th career marathon. He had initially planned to run through Boston a decade but the timing didn't work for him.

"When I was looking at Boston in 2015 to do it in '16, I did my research and come across [Dana-Farber]," he said. "I felt I owed it to them, I wanted to go with the same charity."

A fundraising minimum of $10,000 is required and Kessler is hopeful to meet that goal in time for the April 21 race.

"I would like to raise even more," Kessler said. "If I can get to $12,000 or $15,000 that would be good."

He's been spreading the word on social media. To join his fundraising campaign, you can find him on LinkedIn or Facebook. He can also be reached at coreykessler98@gmail.com.

Watch the full "Patch Weekly Spotlight" with Kessler below.