Philanthropy
Philanthropy
In Memory of Malcolm Mandeville Hopper
On October 25, 2010, Malcolm Mandeville Hopper, father to Race Director Merritt Hopper, passed away. It is because of Malcolm that his son became the Race Director he is today. Running and hiking were big parts of Malcolm’s life having conquered multiple New York City marathons and countless road races, and having climbed all 46 peaks in the Adirondacks. After Merritt turned 8, the two were racing together in various 5K and 10K local races and hiking through multiple mountain ranges through the Northeast of the United States.
Although diagnosed with brain cancer in October 2008, thanks to treatment from Duke’s Preston Robert Tisch Brain Research Center (www.cancer.duke.edu/btc), Malcolm, in the midst of chemotherapy, completed one of Merritt’s races in Costa Rica in October of 2009. He remains an inspiration to anyone that has crossed paths with him. In memory of Malcolm, 10% of all proceeds from Race2Adventure, LLC will be donated to Duke’s Medical Center and The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Research Center.
This will be the seventh country where the group, collectively, has brought down school supplies for children in communities with needs. Racers lug down backpacks full of crayons, paper, pencils, and other helpful school supplies for educational needs. This is the single most rewarding aspect of immersing ourselves in Costa Rican culture and knowing we’ve made a difference while visiting such a beautiful country.