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DoinggreatWorkinourCommunitiesDoinggreatWorkinourCommunitiesYOUNGMARINESRunningaMarathonIPushedOnByYMLCplCalebWilsonCherryPointNCThisyearat12yearsofageIrantheMa-rineCorpMarathoninWashingtonD.C.aspartoftheMarineCorpsForcesSpecialOp-erationsCommandMARSOCFoundationTeamafterraisingtwothousanddollarsfortheFoundation.MARSOCFoundationsupportsactivedutyandmedicallyretiredMARSOCpersonnelandtheirfamiliesaswellasthefamiliesofMarineswhohavelosttheirlivesinservicetoourNation.WhenIappliedfortheMarineCorpMara-thonIwasoriginallytoldIcouldnotrunbecauseIwastwoyearsundertheagelimit.AfterafewemailmessagesIwasal-lowedtoruntheracewithmyDad.Amara-thoncoversadistanceof26.2milessoitisnotanormalPFTrun.Itrainedforseveralmonthstoprepareforthisdistance.ThenightbeforethemarathonIreceivedtheSpiritusInvictusawardwhichmeansun-conquerablespiritfromtheMARSOCFoun-dationformyfundraisingeffortsanddesiretoparticipateevenafterbeingturnedawayoriginally.RunningthemarathonhurtalotbutIpushedontothenish.IwenttoschoolthenextdaylimpingbecausemymuscleswereverysorebutIwashappytobewear-ingmymarathonshirt.MyadvicetoallyouYoungMarinesPushonpainisnotareasontoquit.EachandeveryonesetexpectationsforyourselfhighandpushontomeetthemDontquiteverEditorsnoteLCplWilsonraised2000fortheMARSOCFoundation.CalebWilsonAnunconquerablespirit.ByAimeeM.FaganAdultVolunteerBlackstoneValleyMAThanksgivingWeekendkickedoffourToysforTotsDrive.InpreparationforseveralserviceeventsourYoungMarinesweregivenahomeworkassignment-theyneededtondoutasmuchastheycouldaboutToysforTots.TheydidnotdisappointandactuallysurprisedsomeToysforTotsorganizerswiththeirknowledgeoftheprogram.Theywereabletosharethattheprogrambeganin1947inCaliforniawhenaMa-rineReservistswifewantedtodonateaRaggedyAnndollasaChristmasgiftforaneedychildandcouldnotndanyplacethatwouldtakeit.SotheMarineandhisbuddiessetoutonamission.Thatrstyeartheycollectedvethousandtoystodistributetoneedyfamilies.In2011morethan15milliontoysweredistrib-utedtochildren.Weexpect2013tobeanevenbiggeryear.ToysforTotsBlackstoneValleyDiditsHomeworkStufngthebusandHelpingOurCommunityByYMClaytonSauberanAstabulaCountyOHEveryyearmyunitdoesafundraisercalledStufftheBus.DuringStufftheBuswebringitemstodonatetolessfortunatekidsandafterthatwetrytogetmorepeopleinbyholdingsignsandmarchingaround.Itisreallyfun.Atourlasteventwegotmorethanhalfofthebusfull.Wealsoattendasmallindoorfairwhichsellsclothes.Wetaketheitemsputtheminbagsorboxesandcarrythemouttothecars.Itsreallyfunbutitishardwork.ThepeopleoperatyingthefairsaywereallyhelpthemoutplusitisagreattimeforPTsomeoftheboxesarereallyheavy.Allinallitisareallyfuncommu-nityserviceproject.TheYoungMarinesofAlbanyGAvolunteeredtohelpthelocalPoliceDepartmentwiththeirThirdAnnualThanksgivingDinner.ThisyeartheeventwasheldonTuesdayNovember262013.YoungMarinesSSgtAlexisBaisdenSSgtJoshuaCrawfordandPVTMalikPeoplesandstaffmembershelpedservemorethan750meals.AlbanyServingatThanksgivingPage18ESPRIT