Sports

Framingham Puberty Teacher Running Boston Marathon For Natick Organization

The public is invited to attend Michelle Kinsella's FUNdraising party tonight at TJ's in Ashland to help her raise money for Embrace a Family and her first Boston Marathon run.

If you have a fifth grade student or older in the Framingham Public Schools, you child has likely had Michelle Kinsella as a teacher.

For the last 17 years, Kinsella has been the fifth grade health teacher. Many parents describe her annual meeting for them as a fun, laugh-filled night out and an event not to be missed.

Kinsella speaks frankly about puberty and sexual organs in her classroom with students. Many students say Kinsella was their favorite elementary school teacher, as they move on to middle school.

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She researches and comes well-prepared to answer a wide range of questions from both boys and girls, about topics many parents would blush or shy away from. Kinsella also teaches her students about good nutrition and the need to be active and physically fit.

So it should surprise no one that Kinsella runs marathons. She has run the U.S. Marine Corps Marathon four times and in October will tackle the course for the fifth time.

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Next month, she will run her first-ever Boston Marathon.

And while many find marathon training tough, Kinsella said she enjoys it. The tough part, she said, has been the required fundraising.

Kinsella, a Milford resident, is running to support, Embrace a Family, a non-profit organization based out of the Natick Rotary Club. To earn her Boston Marathon number, Kinsella had to promise to raise $4,000 for the charity. 

Embrace a Family provides financial assistance for non-medical expenses such as groceries, child care and other expenses that can ease the strain on a family battling cancer. 

Kinsella fully supports the mission of her charity, but has struggled a bit to raise the required amount while training and teaching.

To help her with raising money, Kinsella is holding a FUNdraising party tonight, March 29 from 8  to midnight at TJ's in Ashland. The public is invited.

There is no cover charge to attend, but Kinsella plans to raise funds via raffles and silent auctions.

Kinsella said she has $1,385 worth of gift cards (raffles every 30 minutes) $1,750 worth of baskets (more than 20 baskets), and $2,600 worth of silent auction items. Prizes available tonight total almost $5,750.

Silent Auction items:

  • Team-signed Boston Bruins Jersey
  • Hockey stick signed by members of the Boston Bruins
  • Hockey pucks signed by members of the Boston Bruins
  • Clay Buchholz signed Boston Red Sox jersey 
  • Bose Wave Radio 3 
  • Behind the scene tour of ESPN 
  • Coach, Kate Spade and Vera Bradley bags

There are gift baskets, a Cape Cod get away at the Cove in Yarmouth, a four-pack of 4 Skyzone tickets, four tickets to 5 Witts and 2 adult and 2 kids tickets to Patriots Hall of Fame.

Three of a Kind, a Natick-based band, will be playing musical covers all night long, said Kinsella.

Tonight, it is all about raising the money for her organization but in less than a month Kinsella said she can not wait to run through Framingham, so all of her students can cheer her on and see the importance of being physically fit.


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