The Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

tax-exempt charitable foundation established by the parents of Martin Richard (June 9, 2004 – April 15, 2013), an 8-year-old boy who was killed in the

Boston Marathon bombing The Boston Marathon bombing, sometimes referred to as simply the Boston bombing, was an Islamist domestic terrorist attack that took place during the 117th annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarna ...

on April 15, 2013. The foundation is dedicated to promoting education and sports in the community. Since 2014, the foundation has raised money through its charity team at the annual

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

. Team MR8, named after Martin Richard's initials and his favorite sports number, is composed of volunteer runners, including runners who may not usually qualify to run in the race due to their time scores. The team members raise money for the foundation, which in turn invests in projects such as the Challenger Sports program at the

Boys and Girls Club Boys & Girls Club may refer to: * Boys & Girls Clubs of America * Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada * Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Clubs, Bronx, United States * Essex Boys and Girls Clubs, in Essex and East London, England * The Boys' and Girls' Clubs ...

of Dorchester, the Martin Richard Park Project, and community clean-ups. Donations to the Challenger Sports club help finance athletics programs for children with disabilities. During 2016's "One Boston Day," held annually on April 15, the foundation sponsored a community clean-up of Dorchester's Peabody Square and Dorchester Avenue. Team MR8 raised $1.25 million during the 2014 Boston Marathon Race and raised over $2 million as of March 2016. Martin's Park, which opened in 2019, is located in the

Seaport District The Seaport District, or simply Seaport, is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. It is part of the larger neighborhood of South Boston, and is also sometimes called the Innovation District. The Seaport is a formerly industrial area that ha ...

adjacent to the

Boston Children's Museum Boston Children's Museum is a children's museum in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the education of children. Located on Children's Wharf along the Fort Point Channel, Boston Children's Museum is the second oldest children's museum in the ...

. Construction began in June 2017, following a $13 million investment from the Martin Richard Foundation. The park overlooks

Fort Point Channel Fort Point Channel is a maritime channel adjacent to Boston, Massachusetts. The channel separates South Boston from Downtown Boston and feeds into Boston Harbor. The channel is surrounded by the Fort Point neighborhood, which is also named a ...

and features a children's playground, a performance space, and an upgraded

Harborwalk Harborwalk is a multi-use recreational trail located in Punta Gorda which runs along the Charlotte Harbor and the Peace River. Route description Beginning at Adrienne Street near Bayfront Health Punta Gorda on Marion Avenue, the mostly con ...

, as well as a garden and water park.

References

Sports foundations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Massachusetts 2014 establishments in Massachusetts {{nonprofit-org-stub