Those that know Bridgeport’s Tom Rhine know him for his work at Pratt Whitney, as a good neighbor and a family man. Many, it’s safe to say, know of him for his exploits as a runner. And it was after a recent appearance in the Boston Marathon that Rhine had an epiphany .

 

“I was coming back from (this year’s) Boston Marathon with my wife and on my way home I was reflecting about the positive experience I had witnessed running that race,” said Rhine, in reference to last year’s bombing at the prestigious event. “I witnessed the healing of a city and possibly a nation from a tragic event. I saw resilience, reconciliation and forgiveness. It kind of hit me at that time that maybe I could use my running to promote something positive locally.”

 

Rhine has figured out what he wants to do. And it’s something he hopes the entire community from Bridgeport and beyond will get behind and – if they want – to even take part. On Nov. 28 and Nov. 29, starting at 8 a.m. on the 28^th and ending on the 29^th at 8 a.m., Rhine is holding the first-ever “Run One Day for the United Way.”

 

“It’s not connected or organized by the United Way directly, but it’s a personal mission for me that’s endorsed by the United Way where I hope to be able to raise funds for, and awareness of, just what that organization does,” said Rhine. “I’m currently involved with United Way and I’ve been involved with them for a while and hope this can help them out. By doing something a little bit extreme I hope to accomplish that.”

 

A little extreme? Perhaps Rhine may consider it that, but for some, what they read that follows is more likely extremely extreme and unique. And considering what he’s attempting to do at Bridgeport City Park – regardless of weather – it’s also uniquely kind.

 

This coming Friday morning, Rhine said there will be a pre-event kickoff  for the “Run One Day” event where he said he’ll probably talk a bit about the United Way and what it means to the community. He hopes some of those in attendance will also make donations. And after that, it begins.

 

What “it” is, for those not sure, is exactly what the name of the event suggests. Rhine will be attempting to run and keep moving a full 24 hours. He’ll do loops on a three-mile course that is very similar to what has been utilized in the past by the Bridgeport High School cross country program.

 

“We’ll be running very slowly and it will be mainly me running the laps and I hope to have some friends join with me. I’ll also be walking some of the hills because it’s a challenging course,” said Rhine. “We’ll also have a little station at one of the pavilions where my wife will be at providing me with food and water every 45 minutes to an hour.”

 

For every lap completed on the three mile course, Rhine said his plan is to walk between a minute and perhaps two, but that the vast majority will be in a run mode. The goal that he has set for miles completed in 24 hours is incredible.

 

“If everything goes well, I hope to be over 100 miles and if things go exceptionally well, I’d like to hit 125 miles. If someone is willing to put up some big bucks in this then I’ll go as high as possible,” said Rhine with a laugh. “Working with the United Way is important to me.”

 

It’s also personal to Rhine. Tom and Tana Rhine are parents to four children, including two with special needs. They are the parents of WVU freshman Nathan Rhine and Bridgeport High School sophomore Noah Rhine. And they are parents to Joshua, 20, who has autism and Zachary, 21, who has a range of medical issues that both he and the Rhine family deal with every day.

 

“Josh has autism, but one day a week he works at a United Way agency known as entitlement through employment,” said Rhine. “It gives him job skills and meaningful work. He shreds papers and wooden lumber projects and you can see that he is so thrilled to be working and doing stuff with his mind.

 

“With Zach, his issues are far reaching and he’s dealt with them his whole life. He has limitations physically and mentally,” Rhine continued. “Ironically, he has very few limits socially. He has a big heart and knows how to connect with people. He can make a friend out of a person in an elevator and can make someone smile that doesn’t want to smile.”

 

Zach, who can walk a little over 100 feet, but no further, lives at the Bridgeport Manor. He has benefited from the ARC of Harrison County, which has been a recipient of United Way funding.

 

“Raising a child with autism and another with medical issues has been challenging, but when I run I work out so many emotional complexities in my own mind that I think those two have made me change for the better,” said Rhine. “When I run, I think of what they’re facing. If they can make it through anything, then I can run 20, 50 or even 100 miles.”

 

Running has helped Rhine connect with all his kids and provide a special bond with Zach and Josh. In fact, both want to hear how their father did upon completing a race.

 

“They want to know what place I got. I always tell them first place and they think that’s great. In a very cool way, we have connected at a very high level through this hobby of running,” said Rhine.

 

This coming Friday and into Saturday, Rhine is hoping to connect the community to United Way. He knows, first hand, what the organization does for the community.

 

“All the money that I raise will go directly to the United Way, which distributes funding to 19 different agencies throughout Harrison County,” said Rhine, who sits on the grants and donations committee and reviews applications to receive funding from the United Way. “Our committee has to make tough decisions and with more money, it can make those decisions a little easier and what we award to provide an even larger benefit.”

 

If individuals are interested in contributing, they can visit the United Way Web site by clicking HERE. Individuals can also visit Rhine’s “Run One Day” Facebook page by clicking HERE. Also, for those with additional questions, they can contact Rhine via email at tkrhine@ma.rr.com.

 

“This is my way to help by doing something I love to do. Exerting myself physically helps me connect with people and handle deep issues in my own life from work problems, relationship issues or challenging myself to reach a level of achievement,” said Rhine. “At the same time, I love the silence and solitude of getting away from the information society. Running has been good to me and I hope this event is good for the United Way. Plus, this may be the end of my heavy duty running as my life is taking on new dimensions from work and family. If that’s the case, I want this event to be special.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is of Tom Rhine after completing a recent Iron Man event, while he's shown this past week asking the Benedum Airport Authority to assist the United Way's 2014 fundraising campaign. Zach Rhine is shown having some fun in the third photo, while Josh Rhine works at a workshop through one of the many programs assisted by the United Way in the fourth photo. In the bottom picture, Rhine is out running in yet another event. All photos, with exception of the Airport Authority photo, courtesy of Tom Rhine.