Pillars of strength, community
Ruth Anne McManus may be a self-proclaimed 鈥渂ack-of-the-pack鈥� kind of runner, but there鈥檚 nothing lagging in her passion for advocacy or knack for fundraising.
A graduate student at 涩里番下载's Woods College of Advancing Studies, McManus launched her first charitable-giving campaign last year when she raised $8,000 for Boston non-profit Victory Programs Inc. and its ReVision Urban Farm, which creates access to farm-fresh food for communities struggling to obtain quality produce. She first started volunteering for the program in 2019 and was drawn to its mission. As a testament to all the hard work she had devoted to its cause over the years, Victory Programs asked McManus to spearhead their Friends Feeding Friends campaign in 2021. In order to bring in such a large sum for the program, she decided to run the 2022 Providence Half Marathon in Victory鈥檚 name.
This year, McManus has taken her ambitions up a notch: She鈥檚 set a goal of running three half-marathons by the end of this year, including the Providence Half Marathon next month, and raising $10,000 for Victory Programs.
Woods College graduate student Ruth Anne McManus and her mother, Mary McManus '84. (All photos by Lee Pellegrini)
McManus is following in鈥攐r rather, literally accompanying鈥攖he footsteps of her mother, Mary, a 1984 graduate of the 涩里番下载 School of Social Work. Like Mary, Ruth Anne has faced significant health struggles and has found self-revitalization through running and doing for others. She also notes that the ReVision Urban Farm program鈥檚 values align with both her own moral pillars and those of 涩里番下载.
鈥淭he Jesuit values of community, serving others, and treating the whole person鈥� drive the work that Ruth Anne does each day. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been wonderful,鈥� she said of her experiences. 鈥淗ard work, but wonderful.鈥�
Mother and daughter鈥檚 intertwined story began 17 years ago, when Mary was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, a progressive neuromuscular disease. Looking for ways to lessen her muscular pain, she fell in love with running鈥攁nd in doing so, inspired Ruth Anne to take it up, too. The pair ran the Boston Marathon in 2009 in support of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where Mary had received treatment, raising more than $10,000.
“The Jesuit values of community, serving others, and treating the whole person鈥� drive the work that Ruth Anne does each day. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been wonderful,鈥� she said of her experiences. 鈥淗ard work, but wonderful.”
After Ruth Anne graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2014, she felt increasingly ill and exhibited irrational behavior鈥攊ncluding fits of rage and fear, and acts of self-harm鈥攖hat greatly troubled her family. Her unique blend of psychological symptoms stumped doctors for seven years, and Ruth Anne was continually in and out of hospitals.
Then Mary, after realizing that Ruth Anne鈥檚 experience mirrored that of a friend鈥檚 daughter, suggested the doctors check Ruth Anne鈥檚 urine. They found a large amount of white blood cells in her system, an indication she was fighting a large infection.
鈥淭hey were trying to treat the psychological symptoms without targeting the infection,鈥� Ruth Anne explained.
She was ultimately diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, or PANS. McManus was quickly put on antibiotics for the infection and further psychiatric medications to alleviate her other symptoms which could now be more easily explained and pinpointed. She also spent time in occupational therapy, an experience to which she attributes much of her growth and progress.
McManus cites the support of her family as a major reason she was able to endure the seven years of unanswered questions. Her mother鈥檚 time at 涩里番下载 proved to be a key asset in Ruth Anne鈥檚 battle against PANS: Mary 鈥渉ad a stellar education and knew the ins and outs of the system. She was a huge advocate,鈥� said Ruth Anne.
There was yet another factor, she added: 鈥淲hen doctors didn鈥檛 know what was going on, running and exercise were just my saving grace. I really relied on running to help.鈥�
When Victory Programs reached out to McManus about the devoted volunteer leading a campaign, she realized she could use her love for running to come to the aid of others just as her mother had shown her. Volunteering at ReVision Urban Farms further opened McManus鈥檚 eyes to the world of food insecurity and she felt called to involve herself more in their work, her mother鈥檚 example guiding her every mile.
McManus describes the early days of raising money for Victory as 鈥渁 labor of love.鈥� Having grown up near 涩里番下载 and attended St. Ignatius Parish (she will proudly tell you that she was Baby Jesus in the Christmas Pageant), she worked hard to integrate this community into her campaign. She coordinated giveaways from local stores like Heartbreak Hill Running Company, held a Playa Bowls fundraising night for 涩里番下载 students, and posted videos to platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube every week for what she has dubbed 鈥淔undraising Fridays.鈥�
鈥淚 messaged everyone from my plumber to my next-door neighbor,鈥� she said.
McManus鈥檚 dedication paid off. 鈥淢y original goal was $3,000,鈥� she noted, 鈥渂ut the numbers just kept climbing and climbing.鈥� Since that original success, fundraising 鈥渉as been a real sustaining factor in my life. It鈥檚 held me accountable and also has just been the one constant in my life.鈥�
This sort of large-scale fundraising requires a certain amount of optimism and Ruth Anne exhibits this in spades. She looks back on her time in occupational therapy as 鈥渢he biggest blessing鈥� as it was then when she realized she wanted to return to school and earn a master鈥檚 degree. McManus received a Dean鈥檚 Scholarship from Woods College, where she now studies corporate communications and marketing. She is set to receive her master鈥檚 certificate in December.
When it comes to marketing, especially for a good cause, according to McManus, Woods has taught her the importance of 鈥減utting yourself out there and being brave.鈥�
Learn more about Ruth Anne McManus鈥檚 fundraising activities . Mary McManus has a website describing her experiences at .