5th Annual “On Your Marc” 5K in Lower Providence to Honor All Fallen Heroes

Written by Patch Community Editor Nicole Foulke

This year, on the fifth anniversary of the ‘On Your Marc’ 5K event held annually in Lower Providence to honor fallen army special forces staff sergeant Marc Small, Small’s family decided to extend the goodwill and honor all fallen heroes at the event, from fallen military members to fallen EMT workers.

This year on August 3, On Your Marc participants can run and walk in honor of a fallen hero by writing the hero’s name on their running bibs.  Some of the heroes will be identified by their stories and photos, said Peter MacFarland, Small’s step-father.

“Sadly, many men and women of this country have given the ultimate sacrifice … and they deserve to be honored,” wrote Small’s sister Megan MacFarland in an email to Patch.

Megan MacFarland developed the idea of On Your Marc in 2009, three months after her brother died while on duty as a staff sergeant and medic in a remote village in eastern Afghanistan.  She and her mother Mary MacFarland, who was also Small’s mother, decided to plan a 5K both to celebrate Small’s life and honor his sacrifice for the United States.

Megan and her mother contacted Lower Providence Parks and Recreation Director Karl Lukens.  According to Peter MacFarland, when his daughter and wife went to Lukens’s office thinking that they would have a small meeting with him, they instead found “every township department manager, the police, fire, everybody, and they said ‘tell us what we can do.’”

On Your Marc is co-sponsored by Lower Providence.  According to Peter MacFarland, a lot of the township supports the event, including the Lower Providence Fire Department, who drive a hook and ladder fire truck over and put an American flag on it.

The family expected 100 people to participate in the 5K that first year, but they instead greeted about 500, raising $20,000 for the foundation Small Steps in Speech, which was founded by Marc’s fiancée Amanda Charney, a school based speech and language pathologist.  The foundation, created in Marc’s memory after his death, helps small children obtain the speech and language therapy that they could not have afforded otherwise.

According to Peter MacFarland, On Your Marc has raised over $100,000 over the years.  The event, he said, is family-oriented and widely supported.  This year, they expect around 600 runners and walkers.

“It was heart-breaking enough to have lost him,” said Peter MacFarland.  “His attributes of strength, bravery, and character are what brought him into harm’s way to help our country.  To see people recognize him for that it great.”

On Your Marc 5K registration forms are available online here and t-shirts are available while supplies last.  For information about sponsorships, call (215) 450-0478.