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DANCE NEWS: National Dance Institute Announces 'Team Jacques' for NYC Marathon
National Dance Institute was named an Official Charity Partner for the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon, taking place on November 7. This year serves as the 50th celebratory running of the marathon. National Dance Institute (NDI) will be among the more than 400 official charity partners providing thousands of runners the opportunity to run in the world’s most popular marathon.
In honor of NDI’s founder Jacques d’Amboise, National Dance Institute has renamed its 2021 TCS New York City Marathon Charity Team, Team Jacques, dedicated to Mr. d’Amboise, who was also a runner and passed away in May. By joining Team Jacques, participants will raise funds to support Mr. d’Amboise’s mission to bring the transformative power of dance and performance to New York City public school children.
In 1976, the same year that Mr. d’Amboise founded NDI, he ran the New York City Marathon. It was the first year that the course covered all five boroughs of New York City. He trained for it mostly by running around the Central Park reservoir. Mr. d’Amboise completed the marathon in just over four hours.
“We are elated to be able to dedicate this important event to Jacques," said Ellen Weinstein, NDI‘s Artistic Director. “Team Jacques will raise funds to benefit children in New York City public schools. Jacques always encouraged us to reach higher, dream bigger, and challenge ourselves beyond what we ever thought possible, and Team Jacques’s runners will do just that as they train and compete in this year's marathon," she added.
Anyone interested in joining Team Jacques is asked to complete NDI Runner’s interest form by June 25, 2021, at which point NDI’s team will be selected. To run as part of Team Jacques, all runners are required to fundraise for NDI, and all fundraising efforts go directly to NDI to support dance and music programs across New York City.
“Supporting charitable causes and organizations are a long-standing tradition of the TCS New York City Marathon as it serves as one of the world’s largest fundraising platforms,” said Christine Burke, Senior VP of Strategic Partnerships, NYRR. “The marathon exemplifies the running community’s spirit of giving back, and no group demonstrates that more than the thousands who choose to run for charity. We are proud to support the efforts of National Dance Institute and Team Jacques and the positive impact NDI has made to their community.”
The NYRR Official Charity Partner Program offers an opportunity for nonprofit organizations to raise funds to support their missions and services. Participating charities can offer guaranteed entry to runners who fundraise on their behalf.
Since its inception in 2006, the TCS New York City Marathon Official Charity Partner Program has raised more than $350 million for more than 1,000 worthy nonprofit organizations across the globe. Prior to the start of the official program, the New York City Marathon had served as an outlet for individual philanthropic runners since the 1980s.
The 2021 TCS New York City Marathon will commemorate the race’s 50th running with runners from all over the world participating in-person and virtually. The marathon began in 1970 and has become one of the most anticipated annual mass sporting events in New York City. This year’s marathon will once again bring together people of all ages and abilities reflecting the resilience and strength of the running community.
The Dance Enthusiast Asks Jacques d’Amboise [June 1, 2016]
A Dance Enthusiast's A to Z: D is for Jacques d'Amboise and Kristin Draucker [April 25, 2018]
