By Mary O’KEEFE

On March 18, people will lace up their walking shoes to take part in a 33-year tradition at the Los Angeles Marathon and, for the 19th year, La Cañada resident Mary Pinola will be joining them.

“We were trying to raise money for the education fund,” Pinola said of why she initially took part in the marathon. “We thought we needed to build it more. We could see how much good we were doing.”

The fund she was raising money for was under the direction of the Glendale Foundation, which is now the Community Foundation of the Verdugos. For years the Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce Education Fund, administrated by the CFV, has helped the community in many ways. It has provided a wide variety of funding, from money for equipment for the CV High School band to specialized equipment for the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.

The Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce Education Fund began in 1990 when the CV Chamber of Commerce had some funds left over after a special event. Pinola, who was a board member of the chamber, along with other members of the board had worked with the CV High School PTSA to support the school. They continued to fund items to help the school including buying lights for the track field.

“But we would raise money then spend it on [items],” Pinola said.

They wanted to have a foundation of funds on which they could build and expand their reach of support. They decided to create the foundation, and that from whatever amount was raised, half would go to the recipients and the other half would be kept in the foundation to continue being invested resulting in more money to donate.

“It’s hard because you want to go out and give it [to recipients], but we kept thinking we have to build this fund so we can give out more,” Pinola said.

To build the fund, Pinola holds several fundraisers over the year including selling knitted scarves at boutiques and hosting the Smart-a-thon (which is on March 7 this year; see page 10 for more information) and walking the LA Marathon.

“One of my friends had walked the marathon. I thought if she could do it I could,” Pinola said.

It typically takes her about seven hours to walk the 26.2 miles.

“You know, the first couple of times I did it we started in downtown and ended in downtown,” she said.

That was easier, Pinola said, because she could park in the morning and get into her car easily after the event. The LA Marathon has changed a lot over the years, from beginning in downtown to beginning at Universal Studios and ending in downtown LA to the recent route change starting in Dodgers Stadium and ending in Santa Monica.

Her walking partners have changed over the years as well. They’ve included Edna Karinski, CEO with the CFV, and Chris Waldheim of J’s Maids & Maintenance, who has been a walking partner of Pinola’s for about seven years. This year, though, it is just Pinola walking the route; however, she has never thought of missing a year because each time she walks the marathon she raises anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 for her effort.
“It is what we all want and what we all hope for,” she said.
Her time may not be record-breaking; she walks about a 14-to-15-minute mile.

“Last year this guy passed me and he had a walker,” Pinola joked.

But whether slow or fast, it doesn’t matter because she has on her side a great sense of determination and the knowledge that, with each mile she walks, she raises more funds that will be distributed as grants.

She said she does like the atmosphere of the LA Marathon as well with all the characters.

“There was one year when a lady was dressed as the Statue of Liberty,” she said. “She carried the torch the entire way.”

Pinola has walked with the group dressed as Elvis with a company of male dancers. Each year it is just a fun event, she said.

“If one of those characters is walking at your speed, it is really fun,” she added.

To help Pinola on her 19th LA Marathon, contact the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce at (818) 248-4957, or contact the Community Foundation of the Verdugos by visiting cfverdugos.org and click on Make a Donation and choose the Education Fund. Donors can also make checks payable to the Education Fund and in the memo write LA Marathon.

  Mary Okeefe