NoVA Nonprofit Part of Boston Bombing Hoax

Organizers of the annual Joe Cassella 5K in Great Falls are outraged a photo from one of their past races was circulating as part of a hoax in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.

"We would like to clarify that the picture circulating on the web and Twitter of a little girl wearing a Joe Cassella 5K bib claiming to have been killed at the Boston marathon is being used fraudulently," the Joe Cassella Foundation wrote on its Facebook page last Tuesday.

The photo was used along with the claim that the girl in the picture, age 8, died while running in Boston in honor of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting victims.

The information from someone with the Twitter name @HopeforBoston (now disabled) went viral (even though children are not permitted to run in the Boston Marathon and, by now, officials have given details on the three deaths).

MSN.com reports that the photo likely circulated after media outlets confirmed that an 8-year-old child died in the attack while he was waiting to greet his father at the finish line. But that child was a boy and was later identified as Martin Richard.

The image of the girl was shared more than 11,000 times on Facebook, reporting her death and asking people to wear red to honor her.

Vivi Cassella, president and co-founder of the Leesburg-based Joe Cassella Foundation, told MSN News the little girl is alive and well.

 “We think it’s a dishonest thing to do,” Cassella told MSN News. “As parents, we feel disgusted by that…We feel bad for the parents of the real victims, especially the little boy. It’s just sad that it takes away attention from the real victims.”

The Joe Cassella Foundation raises money to help families with sick children in the DC area pay medical bills.  The fourth annual Joe Cassella 5K will be held May 19 in Great Falls Village Center. Click here for more info.

Vivi Cassella told Patch that the foundation's website received so many hits last Tuesday that it crashed.

"Luckily, people were supportive once they realized it was a hoax and helped spread the word to correct the situation," she said in an e-mail.

"The photo was originally taken from an article written last year by a local high school student newspaper. Sadly, in a few short hours, the photo, along with @HopeforBoston, reached thousands of people and made national news," she continued. "This shows the power of social media and it should teach people not to believe everything they see on the Internet."

Cassella added that the upcoming 5K will feature a tribute to the Boston victims.

Did you see this fraudulent photo on social media last week? Tell us in the comments below.