On Monday, April 17, 2023, the Massage Therapy Foundation's (MTF) 2023 Boston Marathon charity fundraising team completed one of the most iconic races in the world, and exceeded their goal of raising $65,000 for MTF.

MTF’s 2023 runners came from across the country and hailed from a variety of backgrounds. Each had a unique reason to be passionate about running and raising funds to bring awareness to the benefits of massage.

Meet the Team

Marshall Dahneke is a former massage industry CEO who made drastic positive health and lifestyle changes following his daughter’s breast cancer diagnosis. He qualified independently for the Boston Marathon and raised funds earmarked for breast cancer-related MTF community service projects via The Jacquelyn Project, which he launched in honor of his late daughter.

Rulon Dahneke, Marshall’s son, was also selected for Team MTF, where he raised funds in honor of his late sister’s battle with breast cancer.

David Gonzalez is a veteran, LMT, and Director of the Massage Therapy Program at Miami Dade College, Miami, FL, and is a proponent of the benefits of massage for health and recovery, whether for athletes, veterans, or those experiencing other health challenges.

Another veteran, Dennis Jones, is an active triathlete and owner of Winter Garden Wheel Works, Winter Garden, FL, a retail bicycle shop. He has participated in many charity fundraising events, with his own business holding an annual breast cancer fundraiser bicycle ride.

Theresa Seitz is a small business entrepreneur and massage enthusiast who has run over 40 full marathons. Her 2023 Boston run was special as this was her first full marathon after becoming a mom at age 44. She cites visits to her massage therapist during and after IVF treatments as one of the reasons for her “miracle baby.”

Fundraising for a Cause they Care About

MTF runners came from around the country and first came together as a complete team when they met in Boston on race weekend. As they bonded over lunch on the Sunday before the race, they shared stories of their individual journeys as well as the team’s collective efforts to represent MTF. Each found that the journey required sacrifice, weariness, pain, and difficulties. All of them, however, expressed that the struggle was well worth the effort.

Runners reached out to their own friends, family, and colleagues to drive awareness and build a stronger MTF network. By supporting the charity team, you, too, can connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for the profession and are dedicated to making a difference in the world. This can help build a stronger network of support and collaboration within the massage therapy community for MTF.

The monies raised by MTF’s team supports research and education initiatives that benefit the entire massage therapy community and strengthen community service programs that bring the healing benefits of massage therapy to underserved populations and people in need.

“What a tremendous feat! We continue to be inspired by our runners who train for the prestigious Boston Marathon and fundraise, through John Hancock’s charity bib program, to support MTF. This is our biggest fundraising event of the year and we couldn’t do it without our runners, our donors who supported our runners individually and through our Sponsor-a-Mile program, and the AMTA for their ongoing support of the premier sponsorship,” said Adrienne F. Asta, Massage Therapy Foundation President. “The community that comes together to support our runners helps the good work of MTF, which elevates the profession through research, serves the underserved via community service, and supports education with an abundance of free resources for students, educators, and practitioners. A big, big thank you to our runners David, Theresa, Dennis, Rulon, and Marshall. We are grateful for their dedication to helping move our mission forward.”

Post-race responses from each runner’s personal experience were different, but each was joyful and fulfilled in their own way. They expressed their jolt of excitement crossing the finish line—even though they were exhausted.

Since 2013, the Massage Therapy Foundation has been grateful for the opportunity to participate in John Hancock’s Marathon Non-Profit Program. Through this program, John Hancock has helped to foster healthier, more equitable communities by annually donating 1,000 Boston Marathon entries to select non-profit organizations who use them for fundraising.

MTF’s Premier Sponsor for this event was the American Massage Therapy Association with in-kind massages provided to the runners by Elements.

If you, or anyone you know, are interested in running in a future Boston Marathon or donating please visit the Massage Therapy Foundation’s website.