Matt Stehl Lung Champion Award Sponsored by M&T Bank
We are pleased to announce the new Matt Stehl Lung Champion Award. This award was created to honor the incredible legacy of Matt Stehl - a true nonprofit champion in Delaware. We are incredibly grateful to M&T Bank for its commitment to improving the lives of Delawareans and for their generous support in creating this award.
"We are so humbled that the American Lung Association of Delaware has created this annual award that honors Matt and his legacy, values, and passions. Matt was committed to the Delaware community and improving the lives of Delawareans, and his relationship with running was a testament to this commitment. He would be the first to tell you that running did not come naturally to him, but his passion for running was evident in his participation in the American Lung Association Half Marathon and of course, he had a special love/hate relationship with the uphill portion of the run. I don’t know that he ever truly "loved" running, but rather, he loved the process, routine, commitment, and challenge that training for a run required. Because he wasn't afraid of a big challenge, he had the NYC Marathon on his bucket list, started his training with one very slow mile, and ultimately checked it off his list in 2005. Over the years, he ran many half marathons and 10K runs, but the American Lung Association Half Marathon was special. This was his place, his people. Thank you for honoring Matt's many contributions to Delaware with this award and our congratulations to this year's awardee."
~ Melanie Stehl
The inaugural winner of the Matt Stehl Lung Champion Award is James Phelan. James is a long-time participant in the half marathon and a true champion of the mission of the American Lung Association. You can read James' story here.
