Schaller is married to Susan for 40 years and is father of three children and one grandson, age 3.
This week (as of this newspaper section’s press deadline) he was set to run for the 17th consecutive year in the Boston Marathon on Patriot’s Day on April 15. In 2002 he was honored and selected as an official torch bearer for the Olympic Torch Relay as it passed through Dayton on its way to Salt Lake City.
What he does as a volunteer: Each year he runs 26.2 miles in a little more than four hours at the Boston Marathon and raises money for disaster relief aid right here in Dayton contributing to one of his favorite charities, the Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.
When I run “it’s for a good cause because I keep in shape, it’s a good stress reliever and I give all the money raised to the Dayton area chapter, except for my expenses.”
“I’ve raised roughly $565,000 since 1998 and have about 300 friends and associates on my mailing list that have donated for 16 years in a row. I was a board member for the Dayton area chapter for six years and I’m still a volunteer board member emeritus.”
What is the most satisfying thing about volunteering: An amazing thing happened when I turned 60, "I started getting all these letters thanking me for what I was doing and reading all the notes that included checks inside" and it really touched me because "Everything I collect goes to the Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross."
“I also feel satisfied because I am helping when people need it most. The American Red Cross is generally the first responder in this area in a disaster, especially when there’s a fire and people need to find a place to stay until their life gets back to normal.”
How to get involved: To sponsor a run,mail donations to: Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, 370 W. First St., Dayton, OH 45402 and designate checks to"Schaller Run" on memo line of check. For questions contact: Dayton Area Chapter of the American Red Cross: (937) 222-6711.
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