Earlier this month, our own Jeffrey Shepard put his time to incredible use in the name of charity (and a bit of fun). As a member of the CAP Coasters Team, Jeff and 11 other avid runners and fundraisers completed the 2014 So Cal Ragnar Relay. The race, which spanned 200 miles, began in Huntington Beach and finished in downtown San Diego.

Jeff and his teammates shaved 2 hours off of their previous year’s record, raising more than $32,000 to benefit The Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center – a 20% increase over last year. (Incidentally, you can still donate to the CAP Coasters by clicking here).

Hughes Marino was honored to support Jeff and his team by providing some sweet running shirts and opening our San Diego office to the team so they could shower, rest and recover a bit before meeting fellow runners at the finish line.

Jeff’s favorite saying is “there’s little traffic on the extra mile,” and he is always going the extra mile in everything he does. The Ragnar Relay was just the latest in a long list of Jeff’s philanthropic efforts. His commitment to raising money and awareness for this very worthy Orange County organization exemplifies Hughes Marino core value #8: Generously give to others. Suffice to say we are inspired by Jeff and honored to call him our “teammate.”

Jeff shared this cool story with us about a memory from the race that will last him a lifetime:

“About a mile into my 4:00 am running leg, I saw a woman who seemed to be struggling. I asked her where her music was since that helps you run fast and easier and she said she had lost her iPod 3 months ago. I told her that I had the solution and took off my headphones and let the music play out loud on my phone/iPod. I’d created a custom playlist with very good running songs and it did the trick for her, too. We ran the balance of the leg together talking, singing (grateful that no one was awake to hear us) and laughing. It was such a cool experience to share and the balance of the leg flew by together. We gave each other a big sweaty hug at the end of the leg, thanked each other for the great company and I know we’ll both remember that special slice of humanity together for a long time to come. Those are the unexpected special moments of Ragnar that make the sleep deprivation, the meager food and the crowded, sweaty conditions not only all worthwhile but more so something to look forward to.”

A huge congrats to Jeff from the entire Hughes Marino team. We are proud of you Jeff, and all that you do. Thanks for being such a terrific role model for all of us.