HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Two members of Air Force Life Cycle Management Center-Hanscom will run the Air Force Marathon this weekend at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, for the Air Force Enlisted Village team.
Tech. Sgt. John Mikolaj, a member of the 66th Security Forces Squadron, and Nicholas Kollett, a program manager for the C3I Infrastructure Division, will be running their first and fifth marathons, respectively.
“I am excited to be running my first marathon while helping the Air Force Enlisted Village raise funds to provide a safe and secure home for surviving spouses of enlisted Airmen and others,” said Mikolaj.
Kollett will be running his fifth marathon since April.
“Running this marathon is special to me because it allows me to run for something bigger than myself,” said Kollett, who is also a senior master sergeant in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. “I have a lot of people who support my running and I thought this was a perfect way to collect donations for something worthy.”
The Air Force Marathon is held the third Saturday in September at Wright-Patterson AFB annually. Originally held in 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Air Force, the marathon has grown into a 15,000-participant race. The event features a full marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K.
In addition to the Air Force Enlisted Village, the marathon raises money for eight other charities, many of which are veteran-based.
Mikolaj and Kollett volunteered to run when Hanscom Command Chief Master Sgt. Patricia A. Hickey sent an email seeking base personnel interested in running the marathon.
Last year those running for the enlisted village team raised $25,000. This year, the two Hanscom runners are part of a 41-member team that hope to raise $100,000.
“We truly love our mission and who we care for,” said Jena Sweeney, AFEV Human Resources director and team coordinator. “As our former president and CEO, the late Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Binnicker, used to say, ‘We are taking care of someone’s mom, that’s serious business.’”
The Air Force Enlisted Village charity is one of the official Air Force charities of the Air Force Assistance Fund.
According to their website, the village first opened in 1967 to provide financial assistance and housing to surviving spouses of Air Force enlisted members and retired Air Force couples in need.
The Air Force Enlisted Village consists of two separate living facilities, the Bob Hope Village and Hawthorn House. The villages include apartments, community centers, chapels, outdoor gardens and other amenities.
To learn more about the Air Force Marathon, visit www.usafmarathon.com. To learn more about the Air Force Enlisted Village, visit www.afev.us.