Hosted by former UConn star and current Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford board trustee, Donny Marshall, Donny’s Dash is open to runners and walkers of all ages. It enhances the Club’s health & wellness programming while also raising much needed funds for Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford. Fleet Feet Hartford is a generous sponsor of the race and has been since its inception four years ago.
Fleet Feet Donates New Shoes to Club Teens, Tweens
July 10, 2025
Shoes Will Help Club Members Put Their Best Foot Forward Ahead of Donny’s Dash 5K
Great Futures and Great Steps start at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, and they start with the kindness and generosity of our community partners.
Just in time for the heart of summer, Fleet Feet Hartford, located in West Hartford, donated 85 pairs of brand-new Nike sneakers to teens and tweens at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford. This generous donation, worth more than $13,000, will ensure kids have shoes that not only fit well but are in style and demand for the summer.
“I was psyched to see how excited the boys and girls at the Club were,” said Fleet Feet Hartford owner David Jacobs after dropping off the shoes at the South End Club on July 8. “I was hoping seeing the Nike swoosh would get them pumped up and it did!”
Jacobs and Fleet Feet Hartford have been long-standing supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford and have donated running shoes to members in the past. This year, however, Jacobs wanted to up the ante.
He began working with his contacts at Nike in October to secure shoes that teens would be excited to wear.
“Jordan Taylor and Zach Rivers at Nike really advocated for this to happen and did a lot of internal lifting,” Jacobs said. As a result of this hard work and tenacity, Nike donated 60 pairs of shoes.
But that wasn’t enough for Jacobs.
“We determined 60 pairs just wasn’t enough and decided we wanted to step up financially. With time running short to get them to the kids before summer, we worked with one of Nike’s Run Specialty procurement leads, Amanda Hirschfield, to purchase 25 pairs of the very popular Nike Vomero shoes. They got them to the store within a week and a half,” Jacobs said.
The timing of the shoes’ arrival is perfect, not only for the active summer season, but for members training and preparing to run in the annual Donny’s Dash 5K this October.
The 2025 Donny’s Dash has a new pre-Halloween date promising a “scary good fall run!” Costumes are welcomed at the USA Certified-5K run and walk on October 25. The main race begins at 9am at Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center and is professionally managed by the Hartford Marathon Foundation. It will be followed by the Connecticut Sun Kids’ Fun Run, post-race awards, food, fun and music. Achilles International is also participating to support adaptive athletes.
Registration for Donny’s Dash is now open. Community members interested in volunteering instead of racing can sign up here.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford President & CEO Bruce Jeffery joins UConn legend Donny Marshall, BGCH staff, and Club Kids at the start of the 2025 Donny’s Dash: Scary Good Fall Run at Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. Over 400 runners, including 80 Club Kids, participated in this community event in support of Great Futures. Photo courtesy of Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford. Over 400 runners and 80 youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford laced up their sneakers today for the 2025 Donny’s Dash: Scary Good Fall Run, held at the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. The event brought together families, community partners, and corporate supporters for a day filled with fitness, fun, and philanthropy—all in support of opening doors to Great Futures for Hartford youth. Among the runners were more than 80 Club Kids r epresenting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, who ran with pride, excitement, and that signature Club energy. Their enthusiasm captured the true spirit of the event—creating opportunities where young people can grow, thrive, and dream big. The celebration featured appearances by Donny Marshall, UConn basketball legend and BGCH Board Member, Morgan Tuck, General Manager of the CT Sun, and Bruce Jeffery, President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford. "We are incredibly proud to see our community come together to support our Club kids," said Jeffery. "Every mile run today represents a step toward brighter futures for the kids we serve every day." All proceeds from Donny's Dash directly benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, providing local youth with access to safe spaces, positive mentorship, and programs focused on academic success, character & leadership, wellness and life & workforce readiness.
Together, we’re building great futures—one SMART Girl at a time.
When caring adults show up, confidence grows. Thank you to Cigna for helping our SMART Girls learn the power of self-love and self-expression. #ClubKids #GreatFutures
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