James Greene will run 50km in New York to raise money for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, aiding Irish families.
James is from Armagh. He is 24 and works in Belfast. He once lived in New York. Kevin Bell also lived there, but his life ended too soon in 2013. James feels connected to the charity because he lived in New York like Kevin, inspiring him to raise money for them.
James will run on March 15, St. Patrick’s weekend. He’ll run 50km through New York, starting in Queens, where he used to live. The run ends at Kevin’s memorial bench in Woodlawn, Bronx. Kevin worked there and played football.
James’s company chose the charity, which inspired his run. He lived in New York on a J1 visa, as did Kevin. James knew Woodlawn, where Kevin lived, remembering the bench and the bar, solidifying his desire to support the Trust.
He hadn’t run much in two years, but James is aiming high. He first thought about a half marathon despite struggling with 5km runs. He made a route before deciding to add more distance, turning the half marathon into a 50km route, matching one mile for each Irish county helped by the Trust.
Friends will join James during the run, but He will run the whole way alone. Furthermore, he will see famous New York sites, including Gaelic Park in the Bronx. Kevin was supposed to play there the day he died. The route felt meant to be, James says, and since then, he has trained for it.
James knows the Trust helps Irish people and is glad it exists. Many of his friends live abroad, be it in Australia, the US, Canada, Europe, or the Middle East. Others study in England, Wales, and Scotland.
You hope you never need the Trust, but it’s good to know they are there. Although the Trust’s work hasn’t directly affected him, he still wants to help. Many Irish live far away, and the Trust helps families in hard times, which is why doing this is essential to him.
The Trust repatriated its 2,000th body in 2024 and They help daily, all year.